


Mythical Affairs

by vampirexchild



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Basement Gerard Way, Bottom Frank Iero, Evil Gerard, Gay, Halloween, M/M, Plot Twists, Revenge Era Gerard Way, Rough Sex, Switching, Teen Frank Iero, The Author Regrets Nothing, Top Frank Iero, Top Gerard Way, Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 20:41:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 54,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12373632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vampirexchild/pseuds/vampirexchild
Summary: Frank Iero has always had the strange ability of being able to sew up his own wounds without stitches, heal a broken animal with a single touch. Once he is introduced to the brother of his best friend, he may finally discover that he isn't the only human to posses an incredible power.





	1. Season of the Witch

The anticipation for Halloween was an exciting plummeting of the stomach whenever the heat of summer finally melted away and was replaced by the chilly winds autumn brought to the world. Shades of orange and yellow swept through the world, the scent of coffee floated in the air from the warm hands of people wearing sweaters to chase away the sharp nip the cold gave to their skin. Although the weather may have caused some to shiver, it is warmly welcomed in place of the sweltering waves of hell summer brought forward. Though some craved the summer, autumn brought back a feeling of homeliness that the heat just couldn't supply properly. Waving goodbye to the beach, we bid hello to the rains and the fluttering tree leaves globally taking over nature. It was a time for everyone to bring out their pumpkins and place them on their porch steps, brew teas in steaming, whistling pots, go out and purchase baking supplies. Even if it was a package of premade cookies, any baked treat during cold weather was a pleasure to the tongue and to the stomach. There was something about the season that made everything so much calmer, and every seemed to be happier with each other. 

Preparation for autumn and Halloween began plenty of time beforehand. Local stores and markets began selling autumn leaf wreaths and scented orange candles, Halloween shirts and skeletons to hang on the walls for decoration. Although some may have found it as an annoyance to find these items the second August began, true season lovers smiled at the sight of such things and went to browse through the aisles just to get a whiff of pumpkin pie scented candles that felt like home to them. Anticipation was heavy in the air and the summer seemed to drag on longer than ever when you wished for it be over already. Summer did have its pleasant factors, it provided long term breaks from school and it was perfect weather to visit the ocean, but the heat dragged everyone down and the sun was much too unkind to those with pale skin. 

For people like Frank Iero, autumn couldn't come soon enough. The entire summer was a waiting game for his beloved season, every day was a drag because he detested the heat with a passion that was nearly comical. His friends called him a bat for staying in his room all day and only coming out of it at night when the sun was setting and he caught at least a bit of relief. But the nights were still stuffy and too warm, he didn't sleep with any blankets or sheets because he would always wake up with them stuck to his sweaty skin in the morning and everything felt sticky. Staying away from school for a few months was perfectly fine by him, but at what price? Suffering through the heat and being bored out of his mind for weeks on end? He did go out at night sometimes with his friends, but other than that, the summer had a negative affect on his mood and his skin constantly felt like it was going to melt off of his body. Countless cold showers were taken only for him to start sweating again within the first hour of his cleanliness. He stayed without a shirt most of the time, even though his mom yelled at him a few times to be decent for once and put one on. He never listened, only if someone was coming over or if she was in a particularly bad mood and should not be tested. 

You could guess his excitement when October hit and everything had finally transitioned into the colors of a new season. There wasn't a speck of summer left to be seen and the sun was covered by clouds most of the days, the plump gray clouds collecting into large masses in the sky were during their job and darkening the world a few shades, filling the air with the sweet and organic scent of rain. Frank loved to open his window in the morning and get a whiff of it, let it enter his room until it began to sprinkle. He felt in touch with nature during this season, it was like his pores absorbed the life the ground was emitting and he was filled with so much more energy. Or maybe that was just him that felt that way, he was strange in his own way, but he was used to it. 

After school each day, he would walk home either by himself or with one of his friends. Even when it rained, he walked right through the murky puddles and didn't care if he was dripping wet by the time he reached the house. He always had a smile on his face, even if he got sick from the cold rain in contrast to the warmth of the heater running in his house. Some days, he would walk through the woods, look at all of the colorful leaves falling to the ground and the wet stones ringed around the base of the tall trees. Wet wood smelled oddly sharp, like concentrated rain and freshly cut grass. He let it soak into his clothes and his skin, let droplets of rain slide down his face when he titled his head up and faced towards the sky. Call him crazy, but he had always been drawn to raw nature ever since he could remember. He had an idea why, but he never shared it with anyone because it was his own private thing he couldn't quite explain. 

Another rainy day had gone by, he found himself not at his own house, but at the Way household with his best friend Mikey who had invited him over to help carve pumpkins his mother asked to be finished by the time Halloween rolled by. The holiday was in exactly four days and the entire neighborhood had their decorations and pumpkins out for all to see. All except the Way family, who only had their decorations and lights, but no pumpkins because they weren't ready to be placed outside yet. Frank had already done his a few days ago, he had craved a twisting grin and slanted eyes onto the surface of his and it was sitting out by his front door along with his mother and father's painfully happy pumpkins. Frank was more than happy to help Mikey out. He planned on carving another sinister face into the giant pumpkin that was placed in front of him, he was told to be really good at sticking to drawn outlines whereas others tended to cut outside the lines on accident or make a mistake and accidentally carve a chunk out. 

The inside of the house smelled like freshly baked apple pie. Mrs. Way was in a baking mood as she said when they entered the house and there was already a pumpkin bread set on the kitchen counter and a pie in the oven, the sweet smells all mixed together and the atmosphere inside was incredibly cheery. Splashes of orange, yellow, and black all went together in the decorations inside, especially the orange fairy lights wrapped around the pillars at the kitchen bar and the plastic bats clipped onto them. The table was set up when the teens arrived, a black and orange checkered plastic table cover with large bowls and carving utensils set out for their use. Donna told them not to throw away the mushy insides from the pumpkins so she could spare the seeds and bake them, salt them a little so she could snack on them later. 

Frank had already finished gutting his pumpkin in present time. The bright orange insides were in the purple bowl beside him and he made sure to scrape the walls on the side so nothing would burn when he put a candle inside of it later. Mikey was still scarping out some stringy remains from his that just wouldn't come off and the sight of him practically sticking his head inside of the pumpkin was comical.

"I don't think shoving your head in there will do much." Frank pursed his lips through a smile, shaking with silent laughter. 

Mikey moved his face away from the pumpkin and a fleck of the orange insides was stuck to one of his cheeks. He sighed loudly, still scraping the inside. "This shit is stubborn."

"Watch your language." Mrs. Way called from the kitchen and Mikey rolled his eyes at her comment.

"It doesn't have to be completely bare, just empty enough so it won't set on fire when you stick the candle in." Frank glanced down at the outline he was drawing on the side of the pumpkin, grabbing a sharpie and darkening the lines he had already sketched in fine pencil. 

"You see, we wouldn't be having this talk if we were just going to use those little electric candles. You know, the plastic ones with the switch on the bottom?" Mikey cupped his hands around the air, pretending he was holding said candle in his palms.

"Those are too dim and nontraditional." Frank muttered, focusing on where his pen was going. His tongue peeked out from the corner of his mouth in concentration.

Mikey plopped down onto the chair underneath him when he gave up on yanking the final strings inside the pumpkin and reached for a pen to start drawing the face. "I'm going to carve the most emo pumpkin on the entire block."

"Are you going to put Dahvie Vanity's face on it?" Frank's lips smoothed out into a grin, his eyes lifting to meet Mikey's.

"Even better. I'm putting Jack Skellington on it." Mikey uncapped the pen and leaned forward again.

"That's not so bad," Frank said, smoothing out a line on his pumpkin. "It's a Halloween movie, I'm sure someone else on this street has his face on theirs."

"Yeah, but mine is going to look rad as hell." Mikey chuckled, beginning to glide his pen over the surface. 

Frank shook his head with a soft smile. He was currently finishing the chilling smirk he had drawn onto the orange skin, he tried to make sure the side of his hand didn't touch the ink or else it would smudge everywhere and he would have trouble wiping it off the slick surface.

"What are you all going to do for Halloween this year?" Frank asked because he realized he had never asked about Mikey's plans, he just automatically assumed everyone did their own thing.

"Well actually, dude, I wanted to talk to you about that." Mikey straightened his posture and capped his pen again.

Frank looked up with mild intrigue, also capping his sharpie so it wouldn't dry out while they talked. "What is it?"

"Well, it's Halloween and all, of course my mom is encouraging me to throw a party and invite a bunch of friends from school so it won't completely suck, but it's your birthday too." Mikey smiled, leaning back in the chair. "So I was thinking we could have the party and celebrate both things at once."

Frank often forgot that his birthday was on Halloween. He tended to focus more on the holiday and less on himself, in all honesty he didn't care much for cake or presents. He liked slasher films and going into haunted houses, gathering a shit load of candy and attempting to eat it all in one night (it never happened, he was always left with a full stomach and a few pieces still sitting inside the bag).

"The only people who care about my birthday are my mom, you, and your mom." Frank raised his eyebrows.

"Don't be so edgy that you hate your own birthday. Or apathetic." Mikey glared at him.

"I'm not being either of those things!" Frank threw his hands up. "I'd just rather get the shit scared out of me at a haunted house."

"Boys, language." Mrs. Way warned again, causing them both to sigh quietly.

"Fine, well what if you come to the party and pretend it isn't also for you?" Mikey suggested. 

"I think it's kind of hard to go to a birthday party for yourself and just pretend it isn't for you." Frank slowly picked up his marker again, pulling off the cap with a pop.

"Frank, just get your a-" Mikey's eyes widened and he pretended to cough, glancing back at the kitchen. "Get your butt over here on Halloween. We won't even buy a cake if you really don't want one." 

In all honesty, Frank didn't enjoy cake all too much. If he was given one on his birthday, he wasn't going to be rude and decline a slice, but he would rather not have one if it were his choice. It sounded like a swell idea to him, he didn't think Mikey would be giving up any time soon either way. 

With a sigh, Frank gave in. "Alright, I'll come. What time does the party start?"

Mikey's face relaxed into a slightly smug smile. "Be here at seven. Wear a costume too, if you wear your Frankenstein shirt again then I might just have to deck you in the face."

"Jesus, when did you become so violent?" Frank mumbled, reaching over for one of the carving knives and stabbing his pumpkin. 

"Says the one murdering a pumpkin." Mikey pursed his lips and held in a laugh. Then, his face slowly changed into one of slight discomfort. He leaned in a little, making Frank pause in his action of carving. "And, uh, my brother said he's finally coming out of his bat cave for the party." 

Frank's hand fell away from the handle of the knife and landed on his lap with a soft slap. His eyes widened and Mikey had a knowing look on his face, possibly because the news also came as a shock to him. 

"You - your brother, as is in the one always holed up in the basement?" Frank whispered.

"I don't have another brother." Mikey rolled his eyes. "But yeah, occasionally he'll come up from his room to get food and other things so he doesn't die, that's really the only reason he comes out of there. He heard our mom and I talking about the party and he said he wanted to come. I can't exactly tell him no, it's his house too." 

Frank often forgot Mikey had an older brother. He had only ever gotten two glimpses of him, all he could remember was seeing a flash of pale skin and midnight black hair before it was escaping down the stairs. He never saw Gerard's face, maybe the side of it one time, but he couldn't even remember what that looked like. The only reason he knew his name was because Mikey talked about him sometimes, often referring to him coming out of his room as "the bat leaving the cave." 

"Maybe he's trying to be more social." Frank wrapped his hand around the carving knife again, moving it through the thick flesh of the pumpkin. 

"Props to him for doing that, but," Mikey sighed through his nose. "He's so fucking weird. I'm a little worried he'll scare everyone away." 

"He can't be that bad." 

"Oh, yes he is." Mikey nodded his head quickly. "All he does is down there is draw, and he draws some creepy stuff. Like, dead people, dead animals, and he hangs them up over his walls like they're posters of Justin Bieber." 

"I've seen worse in art. Cut him a break, dude, maybe he just has an art style." Frank shrugged in the boy's defense. He didn't like to make automatic assumptions of his own about people he had only heard things about. He would prefer to meet Gerard face to face before he said anything about him. 

"It's not just the art. He has weird books, stuff about satanism and witch trials from back in the day, even books about the most gruesome murders. I'm surprised he hasn't gone insane by now." 

That part did seem strange. Although, Frank had quite a soft spot for the goriest horror films he could find, so he didn't judge when it came to things like other people being interested in murder cases and various things that involved dark elements. He softly shook his head, carving out a chunk of his pumpkin to the mouth was now more than half way carved.

"He's not Jeffrey Dahmer, Mikey." Frank said. 

"He could be if he wanted to." Mikey mumbled in return. 

Both of the boys jumped in fright when, all of a sudden, a bird flew straight into the window opposite from them and a loud thump echoed through the dining room, a loud squeal could be heard from outside before the poor bird twitched and fell to the ground beneath it. Frank's stomach dropped from the sudden fright and from the sight of the bird falling helplessly to the floor, possibly as good as dead by now if it hit the glass as hard as it did. 

"What was that?" Mrs. Way asked and came into the dining room in her apron, her eyebrows raised. 

"Some bird flew into the window, just smashed right into it." Mikey pointed to the tiny crack now nestled in the glass caused by the impact. 

"It was probably trying to fly in, damn bird." Donna sighed, wiping her hands on her apron. She turned and asked Mikey a question, but Frank wasn't paying attention. He was looking out the window, feeling a swell of nurturing need flourishing in the pit of his stomach. His eyebrows were drawing together with worry, wondering if the bird was dead or only injured. If it wasn't too late, he could go out and help the poor creature, or maybe it was becoming too late and it was twitching as it prepared to die. He glanced at the clock, watching the seconds tick by, and the need to run outside and pick up the creature was gnawing at his insides more and more. He looked down at his hands, realizing his fingers were beginning to tingle with energy he needed to release. The tingling was a new sensation brought to him recently, it was like electricity was running through the veins and the bones underneath the skin of his hands and eventually, it started to feel like when his hands fell asleep, but there was a humming charge within them that made it feel so much stronger. 

"Frank?" Mikey asked, his voice breaking into his reverie. 

Frank's head snapped up, his lips parting and his eyebrows raising in question. "Y-yeah?" 

"I said your name like three times, you okay there?" Mikey asked, one eyebrow lifting.

"Oh." Frank glanced out the window once more, turning his hands inwards so his palms resting on his thighs. "Yeah, just got lost in thought for a second." 

Mikey nodded at the confirmation and picked up one of the carving knives, sucking in a deep breath. "Here goes nothing." 

Frank forced a quick smile, resuming his previous actions of carving his own pumpkin. The two carved in a comfortable silence, but Frank's hands were still charged with energy and he wasn't quite sure how to turn it off. After a period of time, he knew exactly how to do so, but it may have been too late by the time he decided to take action. All he could do was hope and swallow down the knot forming in his throat.

☾

Frank had gotten ahold of the bird by the time he was walking away from the Way household. The creature was twitching, suffering from a broken wing it seemed from the way it was bend at an awkward angle and it's soft chirps were weak and pained. Frank cooed softly at the bird in hopes to console the creature that he was not intending to hurt it, his finger stroking the top of it's small head. The bird was hyperventilating out of fear, its small black eyes looking up at him like it was asking if he was going to kill it. 

"I won't kill you." Frank murmured, making his way into the woods where no one would see what he was about to do. "I want to help you."

 

Once he was in a secluded area surrounded by tall trees and plenty of vegetation, he found a boulder resting near a rushing creek to sit down on while he delicately cupped the broken bird in the palms of his hands. He settled down, looking down at the terrified creature who found no consolation in the soft touches and words he had given it. It was just an animal, after all. But it was a force of nature as well and it deserved to be healed just the same as humans were whenever they broken their bones. Frank rubbed his thumb over its soft belly, the dusty brown and black feathers rustling underneath his finger. The bird chirped anxiously, flinching in his grasp.

"You'll be okay," Frank whispered, glancing around the area. Drawing his attention back to the bird, he drew in a deep breath. "I promise."

He placed the tips of his fingers against the bird's broken wing, just a gentle touch so he wouldn't hurt it in any way. All he needed was the slightest touch and the healing would work. His hands were shaking a bit from his nerves and the energy vibrating in his veins, rattling the bones, aching to exit in some way. He closed his eyes, bringing the bird close to his chest, and focused. 

He envisioned the bird in flight. Wings spread, face titled up towards the sky and gliding in the direction of the wind. No broken bones, only freedom in the way its feather rustled and glistened in the shimmering sunlight shining down onto it. He could feel his hands humming, his skin warming with the power slowly building up inside of him. It felt like his hands and his arms were falling asleep, the fuzzy and warm sensation slowly running up his forearms and spreading all the way to his shoulders before rapidly coming up and over his head, dousing him in vibrations that rocked and flourished through his entire being in a shockwave of paradise. His power felt amazing running through him, transferring to the creature he was holding close to his chest. Like he was walking through the tropical winds of a secluded island, then laying down in the heated sands of the beach, the sound of waves echoing inside his mind. He breathed out through his mouth slowly, feeling that the twitching in his hands had ceased. Once the action had been completed, the feeling of heat and vibrations slowly melted away from him, the outside weather felt more cold than it had before since he had gotten used to the temperature of his magic.

He peeled back his eyelids and looked down at the animal he held. The bird was now standing upright in his hands, no longer twitching or squealing in pain. Most importantly, its wing was set back into a normal position and was tucked safely at its side, showing no signs of it ever being broken. It looked up at Frank, cocking its head to the side, before bowing its head and pecking Frank's palms softly.

Thanking him.

"You're welcome, little birdy." Frank whispered and smiled, running the tip of its finger along its now healed wing.

Standing, he took a few steps forward. He held his arms out and high, opening his hands wider to release the bird. Spreading its wings, the animal crouched low for a split second before it took off, flapping its wings and soaring high into the sky until it was so far away that it looked like a mere speck in the thick clouds hanging overhead. Frank smiled to himself, lowering his arms again and letting them dangle at his sides. Having a power like this and being overall unordinary should have disturbed him, but having such a beautiful gift as the one he had always made him feel like he had a purpose in this world, his existence alone would put a dash of good in this world even though he had sworn himself to secrecy about his ability. Not even his parents knew about it. The root of this gift was still a mystery to him, but he felt content in knowing nothing else except for his power. 

As he turned his back and meant to walk away, something from the corner of eye caught his attention. A flurry of black and ivory, somewhere near the trees. When he turned his head and glanced in the direction of the sudden splash of colors, there was nothing there but the creek he could head bubbling behind the trees and a couple of river stones tossed around the muddy ground. He suspected it was another one of the crows that followed him around ever since he had healed a few of them, he remembered reading somewhere that they never forgot a face that was worth remembering. He took the familiar trail back to the road he was meant to take to get back home, but something he couldn't pinpoint felt off the entire time. 

Especially the raven that flew from tree to tree on his entire way back.


	2. Mystery of the Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank finds himself having mysterious dreams of who he barely knows.

The day before Halloween had approached and Donna had sent Mikey and Frank to the store with money to purchase things for the party coming up. It was a rather long list, but it was full of basic party items you would find at any gathering for a holiday. Chips, drinks, plastic cups, amongst many other items to grab off the shelves. The pair had traveled to Walmart and bought perhaps too much candy, but their excuse was that kids were always knocking on their door on Halloween, so they needed to be prepared to give them a large handful of candy so they wouldn't come back an hour later and pretend they hadn't made their round to the house yet. Frank managed to smuggle a bag of Skittles into their shopping cart all for himself, however, but Mikey promised not to rat him out for it. Frank had an insatiable sweet tooth whenever the right season hit and no one dared to deny him of soothing the itch he felt. 

Once everything was purchased and they were on the way back home, Frank reached into one of the bags from the back and ripped open the Skittles, taking one of the packets and opening the package with his teeth.

"Hand over one of those, dude." Mikey said, taking his hand off the wheel and holding it out. Frank grabbed a package and placed it into his palm while he poured Skittles into his mouth, not even caring that all the flavors blended together was a little too sweet. The taste on his tongue was a dance of all sorts of artificial fruit flavoring, exactly what he needed in that moment.

"I'm surprised they weren't out of this shit by now." Frank said through a mouthful of sugary rainbow candy. "Usually the shelves are wiped clean the day before Halloween."

"It was on sale so I'm assuming they were just trying to get rid of all the leftovers they had in the back." Mikey said and popped a green pellet into his mouth. He then held the package out to Frank, wrinkling his nose. "Take all the grape ones, dude, those are foul."

"I don't understand how you can hate grape flavored Skittles." Frank shook his head, but fished out all of the purple ones nonetheless. 

"My mom used to practically force grape flavored cough medicine down my throat when I got sick, it traumatized me. Now I can't have grape flavored anything, especially not Kool-Aid." Mikey gagged, taking back his Skittles and pouring a few more into his mouth.

"My mom used to do the same to me with the bubblegum one and I still chew it like nothing ever happened." Frank flailed his arms, spilling Skittles all over the place.

"You're picking that up, I am not going to be the one explaining to my mom that you bought yourself a whole bag of Skittles and spilled them all over her car." Mikey glanced at the floor, now covered in random colorful candy.

"Yeah, whatever." Frank mumbled and leaned down the gather them all.

When they got back to the house, it had just began to sprinkle a little. The weather forecast had shown that there would be very little rain despite the intimidating appearance of the clouds above, basically they were a never ending tease and it only rained for hours on end maybe once every week. Frank felt the tiny raindrops falling onto his cheeks where he stepped out of the car, shutting the door behind him. He looked up at the tree sitting in the Way's front yard, seeing a raven perched atop of a branch there and it was looking directly at Frank. It was the raven with the one white feather amongst the sleek mass of black on its wing, one he had healed before when its body had been cut into by a tangled wire. He gave it a discreet wave, turning on his heels to help Mikey with the bags in the trunk. 

After they unloaded everything and placed the market bags onto the kitchen counter, they shed their jackets and hung them on the coat hanger near the entrance to the kitchen. 

"Hey dude, I've got to check the mail and make sure my neighbor has those cookie cutters she borrowed from my mom the other day, you think you can unload some of the stuff while I'm gone?" Mikey asked, pushing his glasses further up his nose. 

Frank nodded. "Sure, it's not a problem."

"Thanks, I'll be back in like ten minutes." With that, he grabbed his gray beanie and placed it over his mousy brown hair before he headed out the door and shut it behind him. 

Frank turned around with a quiet sigh leaving his lips. Opening one of the bags, he pulled out the paper plates and the cups, and the giant bag of Doritos they had purchased. It was a party sized bag that they were lucky enough to have found, there was only one left and they managed to get their hands on it before anyone even had a chance to look at it. The plates were orange and had corny little pumpkins printed onto them, Mikey chose those because he knew his mom would scold them for not buying festive things. Frank chuckled and placed them to the side, folding the now empty plastic bag and moving onto the next. 

Looking out the window while he unloaded everything, he could see small raindrops dusted across the glass and slowly trickling down to the windowpane. He wished he could sit outside and let the rain fall onto his face, but he didn't want to look strange by spreading out onto the grass in the front and shutting his eyes to absorb nature. Mikey wasn't too keen on joining him either, he complained about his glasses getting rained on and it became impossible to see through them after a while. He still loved the guy nonetheless, even if he wasn't so enthusiastic about nature as he was. When he moved into Jersey about two years ago, Mikey was his first friend he had made. He was still lanky and nerdy to this day, still into the same things and still the funny guy Frank had been drawn to. They shared plenty of the same interests if not all, Frank wouldn't trade him for anyone else given the choice. Mikey was always there for him and vice versa, he felt more like the brother he had never had in many ways. 

Frank was never very good at making friends. He wasn't antisocial, but socially anxious - whenever he was near people and he managed to strike up a conversation, he would falter halfway through and he spiked up with anxiety when he realized he had run out of things to say. Though he was reassured many times that it was okay to not know what to say sometimes, he felt too awkward and he felt like he had failed miserably at trying to make a new friendship. In the long run, things had turned out pretty okay for him thanks to his best friend. He introduced him to the circle of friends he already had, they all accepted him and stayed by his side even through high school where everyone else drifted apart and found knew people to socialize with. Everyone he was friends with were all similar in one way or another, but they were also very different from each other, and Frank believed that was what kept them knitted together. It was intriguing to be an introvert and to hear an extrovert tell the story about a wild party night gone wrong, or the places they had been alongside who they had met on the way. Being an introvert himself, the more outgoing personalities in his ring of friends were fascinated by the music he wrote when he was alone and inside, the ideas he had for books and the poetry everyone loved to call "edgy".

Frank wasn't edgy, he was just a little sad. His poetry just made him seem dead inside. 

Frank was thankful that he knew where to place all of the supplies and food or else he would be awkwardly standing in the kitchen for a while with all of the things spread out everywhere. This house was practically his second home since he stayed over so often, he could open the fridge and grab whatever and no one would peep a word. He wasn't that rude though, he didn't empty out their fridge - but might have drank all of their Coke once or twice, he just couldn't help himself. 

When Frank turned around after putting the liter bottles of soda in the refrigerator, he was scared out of his own skin when he saw someone standing at the counter across from him. He let out a girlish scream, jerking backwards and hitting his hip on the corner of the table.

"Oh fuck, jesus-" Frank cursed in pain, his hand going to cover his now throbbing hip with a cringe twisting his features. The person across from him stepped back in alarm, their eyes widening to an uncanny size like Frank was the one scaring the shit out of people.

"I didn't mean to scare you!" They exclaimed, but the sound wasn't very loud, their voice soft and Frank couldn't really decipher if it was a deep female voice or a feminine male voice. The pain was still throbbing like a motherfucker in his hip, but he managed to look up and respond.

"I didn't hear you come in." Frank said. He drank in the person's appearance. He was clearly male, but there was something girly about him that couldn't be avoided. His hair was greasy, tangled and pitch black, framing his cherub pale face like a thick curtain. His eyes were large behind a tangle of curly dark lashes and his nose was small, pointed at the end. Despite the overall prettiness of this stranger, it hit Frank all of a sudden that he had never seen him before and he was in the house, alarm slapped him across the face and he was backing up all over again.

"Whoa, dude, who the fuck are you?" Frank nervously glanced towards the knives, ready to defend himself if needed.

The boy's eyes grew large and he held his hands up in a disarming manner, shaking his head. "P-please don't be s-scared, I'm - brother. Mikey's brother." He was stuttering, red blooming over his cheeks and progressively growing brighter the more Frank stared at him. 

"Mikey's brother . . . Gerard." Frank felt the name spilling from his lips when he swore he couldn't remember it just a fraction of a second ago. The name quickly came to thought and it suited the boy standing there, looking like his skin hadn't seen the sun in a good few years. 

"Yes." Gerard whispered and nodded slightly in confirmation, a strand of his midnight black hair falling over his eyes. 

Frank slowly lost the tension in his body, relief taking its place when he realized this person wasn't a threat. Now that he was processing exactly who the boy was, he took a moment to assess him, see what similarities he had to his brother. There was something in the shape of his lips and the tip of his nose that reminded him of Mikey, the sculpture of their eyebrows. Though their eyes were both almond shaped, Gerard's were wider and his irises were a cloudy shade of faded emerald instead of the warm brown and tinges of green Mikey's had. Gerard was as pale as snow falling during the winter, he had reddish shadows underneath his eyes from sleep deprivation and though his small lips were pale pink, they looked chapped and bitten. The way he held himself was the way a person who didn't want to be seen stood - a crooked spine, hands nervously running through hair or adjusting clothing, eyes not remaining eye contact for more than a few seconds. He wasn't as skinny as Mikey, but it was hard to tell how his body was proportioned when his large dark hoodie hung over his body and he was wearing Batman pajama pants. 

"Well, I'm Frank." Frank cut into the growing silence, his voice sounding quieter than it usually was since he was still settling down from the big scare he had received. "Mikey's friend."

"Oh, I know your name." Gerard shuffled his feet, cervine eyes looking at him through long lashes. "Seen you around a few times, too."

"Really? I've only seen you about twice." Frank raised his eyebrows. He did feel a little strange about Gerard knowing his name and such, but Mikey must have mentioned it to him at some point, or maybe he heard it floating down to the basement when he was over. 

"Mikey and I talk when we can." Gerard sniffed, pushing his greasy hair back again only to have it cascade around his face again. "And I've seen you in - in the . . . woods. Sometimes."

Frank couldn't stop himself from tensing immediately. As if Gerard could sense his sudden alarm, he looked up at Frank and they were finally making direct eye contact with each other. Gerard's eyes were like voids, carrying no emotion at first glance, but the longer Frank looked, the more they pierced through him with a knowing look - like he had just captured a glimpse of his soul and he was now familiar with it. Frank panicked internally. It was possible Gerard had only seen him in the woods when he went for short hikes, maybe when he laid down in the dewy grass when it was misting outside. But mainly, he went there to heal, and he always made sure he wasn't being watched or followed when he worked his magic.

"You go out there too?" Frank tried to keep his voice from sounding strained. 

Gerard's lips twitched oddly. Frank thought he was trying to smile, but it never came. Gerard nodded slowly, his eyes transferring all over his face. 

"I'm not a bat like everyone says I am, Frank." He whispered. But there was something chilling about his voice, his soft and innocent voice that rubbed together abrasively with the strangeness ebbing his words. Frank suppressed a shiver. Mikey had been right; his brother was very strange. 

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Gerard." Frank forced a smile onto his lips, placing his palms on the counter and leaning forward. "I was beginning to wonder if you were even real." 

Gerard blinked a few times in a rapid time frame, lashes batting together in an awfully girly way. Gerard was a pretty feminine looking boy, not in the sense where Frank would mistake him as a woman, however. Maybe at very first glance with no deep analysis, but it became clear he was male after you drank him in entirely. Gerard surprised Frank by giggling softly, a goofy nose coming from between his lips that were now spreading into a smile and revealing a row of small squared teeth. There was something about him, besides being strange, that really made the hairs on arms Frank's raise like they never had before. There was a push, a feeling ghosting in the back of his mind that he couldn't pinpoint. He only managed to smile back in response, a natural one that admitted he thought Gerard's grin was contagious. 

"What the fuck, Gerard, last time I saw you was one million years ago!" Mikey exclaimed as he suddenly appeared with cookie cutters and a tray wrapped in foil, making the other two teenagers in the room jump. Frank was surprised he hadn't died of a heart attack at this point from how many scares he had received in just a few minutes. 

"You saw me yesterday." Gerard's smile had fallen already and he was tugging his sleeves over his hands, eyes casting down to the tiled floor.

"Well, point is, I'm really fucking shocked you finally flew out of your cave, little dude." Mikey affectionately messed up Gerard's hair, making the latter cringe and shy away from him.

"I'm older than you." Gerard protested, turning his back and opening the cabinet with all of the mugs and glasses inside. 

"Still a little dude." Mikey snickered, crossing the floor to stand across from Frank while putting the items in his arms down. "I'll put away the rest of this stuff, thanks for helping out, dude." 

"No problem." Frank smiled briefly, eyes wandering back to Gerard after a while. The latter was inserting a coffee pod into the machine they had plugged into the wall, placing his Star Wars mug on the platform where the stream of the coffee would be dripping onto. Frank couldn't shake the feeling he was getting in the pit of his stomach and in his chest when he looked at him. There was something strange about it, and for some wild reason, he felt like he knew Gerard even if they had only just officially met. He looked away so Mikey wouldn't catch him looking and think he was ogling his brother, but the charge in the air never ceased. 

"Dude, my neighbor made some pumpkin and cream cheese mini pies if you wanna grab a few." Mikey informed and cut through all of the puzzling taking place in Frank's head. 

Frank nodded, looking down at the foil wrapped platter. "Yeah, sure."

When Gerard brushed past him slightly to leave the kitchen, Frank jumped when skin of the latter's knuckles brushed against his arm, just a touch as gentle as a feather against his flesh. The feeling was enough for electricity to zap his skin, coursing through him in waves of pleasant warmth that had them both quietly gasping. They froze at the same time. When their eyes met, Frank's were wide and questioning, but Gerard's were full of only knowing and amazement before he continued walking away and he was out of sight all over again. Leaving Frank feeling cold and drained.

___

Frank was dreaming. He was certain of it, mainly because the woods was a dangerous place when night fell and the conscious version of him never had enough nerve to venture out there just so soak in the moonlight like he wished he could. But the dream version of him did, and he was walking down the familiar path into the wet and cold area made eerie by the shadows of the night. The sound of crickets and the creek were calming, the rustling of the leaves from the wind and the tinkling of wind chimes coming from the houses a mile or two away being carried by the breeze. It was cold, he could sense that, but he wasn't shivering. The moon was large and full, still ebbing towards an orange shade from when it hung low over the mountains moments ago. He stopped in the middle of a clearing void of trees, only the lush and damp grass glistening under the powerful light of the room. He titled his head back and looked up at the stars, seeing multiple lights flying across the dark sky, and he was falling backwards until his back hit the ground without any pain. The wetness from the ground was cold and seeping into his shirt, eventually reaching his skin, but he was numb to it in his dream.

It was like hours had passed by - him laying there, being soaked and calmed, and suddenly he was not alone. There was a presence, an electric charge in the air and a pulling feeling in his chest, like gravity was trying to tug him toward a path he didn't where it was located. His fingertips twitched but he kept his eyes closed, and the presence was only growing stronger until he felt a soft touch across his cheek. Smooth fingertips ran over his cheekbone, shooting bolts of heat to his very bones, trailing down until they were at his lips and tracing them with the touch of a ghost. He opened his lips slightly, letting his breath fan over the fingers that brought him warmth and the best kind of comfort. He opened his eyes slightly and all he could see was a veil of black hair and porcelain pale skin, a glimpse of moonlight casting over a pair of doll like lips. The person was humming softly to him, touching his lips, then trailing them across his jaw. 

He pushed up to his elbows, leaning in and pressing his lips to the pair he had just seen above him. It truly was gravity pushing them together now, although he did not know the person or his gender. But the stranger gasped inside the kiss and their lips opened, allowing Frank to open their mouth and kiss them deeply, tongue shying over their bottom lip. Their lips were soft, but Frank could feel healing cuts on their bottom lip from where they must have cracked at some point due to dryness. They tasted like sweet rain and vanilla creamer used in coffee. Somehow as they kissed, this person became familiar, especially when he was pressing the latter into the grass now and climbing on top of them, sliding his tongue into their mouth and listening to them pant softly. Fingers were in hair, tugging, bodies were pressed together and it was like everything in Frank was being set on fire. He felt this charge before, the shock to his entire system, but he had only felt it so slightly that the conscious inside voice whispering in the back of his mind was wondering why the hell he was dreaming so heavily about this, yet alone giving into it like he was hungry for it. 

"It's our powers, Frank, the magic in us," The stranger breathed heavily, mouthing at Frank's jaw and running his hot palms all along Frank's back. He was a man, his hands were heavy and his voice was masculine, but with a sweet feminine ring to it that had Frank already whispering his name and kissing the pale skin at his throat. 

"Why am I doing this, I don't know you." Frank squeezed his eyes shut, but the pulsing need in him had his knee slipping in between the latter's full thighs, spreading them as he swept his tongue over the pounding pulse point at his neck.

"The power." He moaned softly, fingers threading through Frank's hair, one of his legs hooking around his hip. "We're one of the same, you'll see in time."

Frank was moving against him, being turned on by the surge of energy moving through him alongside his blood. His body was humming, friction was the only relief he received and it was given to him so sweetly by the boy's lips and hands, any skin on skin contact. He moaned greedily, desperate for more, pushing up the boy's shirt and his own to press their skin together. They both sighed in relief, rocking together, kissing passionately with hot and heavy tongues and quick lips. 

"You'll see in time." He whispered again, right up against Frank's ear, just as the moon exploded and rained down onto them in a thousand tiny little sparkles that fell gently onto their skin and molded them together for eternity.

___

Frank woke with a gasp ripping through his throat the very next morning. It was still dark in the room, shades of blue slowly leaking in as in indication that the sun would be rising soon. It was freezing inside, Frank had forgotten to close his window yet again and the cold air was penetrating the room. Despite the bitter chill, Frank's hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat and his cheeks were flushed, just like the rest of his body. His chest was heaving and his sheets were thrown off of him at some point during the night. He whimpered, feeling hot pressure in pelvic area, and he looked down to see his dream had made him hard. It was a Saturday morning, he should have simply tried to shake the dream off and gone back to sleep, but everything in him was still lit up like the person was living inside him now. 

Gerard Way was still on his lips and pumping through his veins. Someone he didn't know, which was exactly why Frank flopped onto his back, staring at the ceiling and wondering what the fuck had happened. He wasn't attracted to Gerard, the only thing that had him curious about the strange boy was the electric aura surrounding him and the blossoming feeling of . . . he didn't even know what when they touched on accident. He didn't know if that was what he was chasing after in the dream, or maybe it was the way his body was humming as it did when his magic was being used, but he was letting it out on another person's body and, fuck, it was the hottest thing he had even done. The flurry of desperate lips and hands, skin pressing together, lower bodies rocking together in sync. He was panting again, shutting his eyes. His fingertips ghosted across the exposed skin of his stomach where his shirt had ridden up, feeling how warm it was, then traveling lower until he was brushing up against the straining boner hidden away by his pajama pants. He whimpered, snatching his hand away out of guilt.

There was no way he was going to masturbate to a wet dream about his best friend's brother. That's all it was, a wet dream about an attractive male that Frank had no clue about, every teenager had a wet dream at some point in their life. His was strange, almost like he wasn't being himself, and all he could think of now was Gerard whispering to him that it was power doing all of it. He assumed it was just another dream that was a grand jumble of all of his thoughts during the previous day, what with meeting Gerard, feeling that strange energy, and magic. Minus the almost sex, something Frank had never had before.

He turned back onto his side, pulling the sheets up to his chest and feeling his aching hard on slowly start to go down the more he reminded himself that Gerard was just the strange older brother of Mikey, he was awkward and sleep deprived and there were no feelings whatsoever between them. Thankfully, Frank was able to drift back to sleep again, but the feeling of unease never went away.


	3. Discovery of the Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerard knows more than Frank gave him credit for.

Frank had managed to push his dream to the back of his mind before the party started. He was thinking of it all day, sadly, which was why it was still ghosting around in his head no matter how much he tried to suppress it. It was the type of dream you kept looking into because of how bizarre it felt, how real everything seemed, and it couldn't be easily forgotten. Frank didn't tell Mikey about it because that would have been one of the most awkward things he would ever have to explain to anyone - "Hey, I had a sexual dream about your brother last night and woke up with a raging boner. Totally not weird, right?"

Definitely not going down that road. 

Frank knew he would be seeing Gerard at some point during the evening, if he was attending the same party then they were bound to run into each other at some point. He couldn't envision Gerard socializing with anyone, but maybe he would be surprised. He hoped his face wouldn't give away how awkward he felt if there did come a moment where they crossed paths and said hello. His stomach was already flipping at the thought, he was never good at hiding his feelings, he was what people would call an open book. Gerard seemed to be the observant type, too, his eyes were so piercing when they were looking directly into yours. 

Frank decided that tonight, he was dressing as a traditional vampire. He thought it would be ironic to go as a wizard or warlock, but he found an old vampire cape in a Halloween box in the basement and decided to put it to good use. He ever had those good quality glue on fangs to put over his teeth, he admired how realistic they were as he bared his teeth at himself in the mirror before he left. His shirt was a normal long sleeve, splattered in some blood, and he wore black skinny jeans and his red converse to complete the casual look. The cape and the fangs should have been enough to keep Mikey from yelling at him for not being festive, he even smudged eyeliner around his eyes to mimic the look of years without sleep and two fake bite marks on the side of his neck. He considered himself presentable enough when he walked out the door to head to the Way's house, enjoying how cool the air felt and how it smelled of sweet rain.

The party was already alive by the time he arrived. People in costumes were walking around with drinks in their hands, the cookies laying on trays at the snack table. Upbeat music was thrumming through the speakers in the living room and a couple of people swayed to the beat together - mainly the couples with matching costumes. Frank snorted when he saw a recreation of Barbie and Ken in the center, the girl's hoop earrings so heavy that he was surprised they hadn't ripped her earlobe in half. He saw a couple of other people dressed as vampires too, but mainly there were just zombies and Disney characters. He walked through all of the people, his eyes looking out for Mikey. He saw a small circle of his friends first, which he was drawn to before he had a chance to find Mikey.

"Hey guys." He greeted them with a smile full of fake fangs, his hands tucking into his front pockets. 

"Happy birthday, Frankie!" They all cried in unison, raising their drinks in the air and smiling widely at him. Frank's cheeks flooded with color at how loud they were, glancing around nervously when people looked at him curiously. 

"Keep it down, the whole world doesn't have to know." He mumbled, but smiling in spite of his words. 

"You're our sweet baby, of course the whole world has to know!" Jamia, dressed as a flapper from the 20's, hugged him tightly and kissed him loudly on the cheek, leaving a large lipstick stain in her wake.

"Ugh, gross, Jam." Frank scrubbed the lipstick off of his cheek and the girl giggled when it only smeared around his skin.

"Mikey told us you didn't want anything for your birthday, Jamia was appalled." Ray smiled widely, patting Frank on the back.

"I was going to get you something awesome, but you're stubborn." She stuck out her tongue at him and the action made Frank roll his eyes and smile.

"If there's a cake in the kitchen, I'm slaughtering you all." 

"Oh, calm your fangs, all you'll find are the pumpkin spice muffins I brought." Frances sat on the arm of the sofa, dressed as a witch - something he expected out of her since she enjoyed studying witchcraft and wearing pentagrams all over the place.

"No one told me about the pumpkin muffins." Kristin, on the other hand, looked nearly insulted that no one had told her about the muffins Frances had made. 

"Help yourself, if they're not all gone already." Frances's red lips twisted into a smirk, one leg crossing over the other. "My recipe is to die for."

"Yeah, well someone will be dying for real if there aren't any left." Kristin shot across the room towards the kitchen, slapping Mikey in the face with the tip of her glittery fairy wing as she passed by. Mikey sputtered, wiping glitter off of his face and waking towards the group of friends. 

"What's her hurry?" He asked, wiping the small flecks of glitter onto his shirt. 

"Pumpkin muffins," Frances sighed. "You know Kristin and her pumpkin spice obsession."

"That girl is a tornado of energy." Mikey lifted his glasses up his nose, taking in Frank's appearance. "Holy shit, you actually dressed up."

"You told me to, I didn't feel like getting scolded at by my second mom." Frank grinned, his fangs lighting poking his bottom lip.

"I'm proud of you." Mikey patted his shoulder, nodding in approval. "I thought dressing like a zombie would be cool but, you know, there's about seven people with the same costume." He gestured to his tattered and dirty clothing with random blood stains, the fake gash drawn onto his neck. It was horribly realistic, even the shine of the puss and the blood made Frank cringe.

"Holy shit, who did the cool effects on you, dude?" Ray asked, leaning in slightly in amazement.

"My brother. Gerard, he's somewhere around here. Probably hiding in the dark, I don't even know why he agreed to come out and join the party if he isn't even socializing." Mikey rubbed the back of his head. Frank's cheeks turned red on account of the mention of Gerard's name, he looked down and hoped no one noticed.

"I forgot you have a brother." Jamia said as she adjusted her headband.

"I forget I have one too, sometimes." Mikey smiled and shook his head. "Maybe you can finally meet him if he emerges. Hey, Frank, you guys have matching costumes."

Frank's eyes widened immediately, but he played it off with a smile. "Nice, he has good taste in movie monsters." 

"You bet." Mikey glanced back behind him and gestured to the kitchen with his thumb. "I'm gonna go get drinks, do you all want some?"

"We'll join you." Frances stood up, flashing a bright smile. 

Frank stayed behind while his friends went to go and serve themselves their drinks. Kristin still hadn't returned yet, she would possibly find them in the kitchen and get herself a beverage, but Frank didn't mind waiting. He leaned up against the wall, observing the room full of people wearing costumes. The curtains covering the windows were pulled back and they exposed the street full of lights and children running outside with their pails full of candy, their small hands grasping their parents'. It was a sight of joy, much like the party going on in the house he was currently standing in. He could see the full moon playing behind the thick clouds in the night sky, and he wished he could go out there and a take a stroll down the street, but he didn't want to be rude and skip the party that was partially his own even if he told everyone not to mention it. He thought about asking his friends to go out with him on a walk, but he knew someone would complain about it being too cold or that they were wearing high heels. He sighed through his nose, shoving his hands on his pockets and turning his head when he saw something red from the corner of his eye.

He wished he hadn't done that.

Standing at the entrance of the hallway with his back against the wall was the pale, pretty boy Frank had dreamt about the night before. Gerard was standing halfway in the shadow of the hall, clutching a red cup in his hand and looking around wearily. God, did he look good. Frank was almost upset that he looked amazing standing there half hidden by the shadows in the hall. He was dressed as a vampire, as Mikey had said, but he had a much classier look than Frank did. He was adorned in all black, a blazer hanging over his frame and tight pants to match, showing off the oddly shapely form of his legs, and the tie around his neck was silky red, gleaming whenever he shuffled and the light hit it. His hair was brushed and hanging to his chin, clean unlike the last time Frank had seen it. Red eyeshadow was dusted gracefully around his eyes that flickered around nervously, a trickle of fake blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth. Whenever he went to bite his lip, he stopped himself when his fake fangs, the same as Frank's, poked his bottom lip. Frank shivered when he realized he was staring, entranced by the look of him.

He couldn't help but stare, though, not when images of his dream kept flooding back into his mind and some part of him wondered if he really was attracted to Gerard. Maybe not his personality, but his face and his body, the brush of his electric touch. It was possible to be attracted to someone's face, that much was clear during this very moment. Frank groaned to himself, eyes flickering back to Gerard who was looking around the room, taking a step forward before hesitating and moving back to where he was. No one else bothered to look at him or approach him, he didn't think anyone else saw him hiding there in the dark, but Frank was the only one close enough to see him. 

Frank hesitated. He knew his friends were coming back soon, but he felt compelled to go talk to Gerard. Now that he had seen him, he was feeling that odd draft again and when he lifted his sleeve, he could see all the thin hairs on his arms standing up. The more he considered, the more he wanted to go and greet him, until he came to the conclusion that he would since no one else cared enough to. 

He crossed the distance between them carefully. Gerard looked up and caught his eyes immediately when he was halfway there, his gaze finding him straight away like he sensed he was coming and where he was coming from. Gerard shrunk in on himself a little, his lips twitching at the corners and his hand lifting in an awkward wave.

"Hey." Frank breathed as soon as he was in front of him.

Gerard smiled strangely, his little fangs gleaming in the semi-dark. "Hi."

Frank shoved his hands in his pockets, rolling his lips into his mouth. "Nice costume you've got."

"Oh, thank you." Gerard quickly glanced down at himself, adjusting his tie. "It, uh . . . I made it."

Frank raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Like, you sewed it?"

"No, I bought random pieces of clothing and put it all together." Gerard smiled sheepishly, then all of a sudden the smile was dropping and he was looking away. "Would have been cooler if I did make it from scratch though, wouldn't it?"

"No, dude, and you're hearing that from a guy who dug through his closet just to put a costume together." Frank gestured to his clothes, smiling in what he hoped was a reassuring enough manner.

"Oh." Gerard chuckled, eyes flickering everywhere at once. Like he was afraid of someone seeing him.

An awkward silence passed by, and there was nothing but a heavy charge in the air between them. Frank wasn't sure if Gerard could feel it too, but it felt like he was going to start floating at any second when he was near him. It felt harder to breathe, but the pace in his method of breathing didn't change. His whole body was alert and aware of Gerard's presence, he wasn't sure if it was dangerous or not. He tapped his foot anxiously, sucking in a silent deep breath to calm himself.

"How come you're hiding out over here?" Frank asked in hopes of shaking off this odd feeling and becoming comfortable.

"I don't know anyone." Gerard shrugged, meekly taking a sip of his drink and gulping it down. 

"I could introduce you to some people if you'd like?" Frank turned his head just in time to see his friends standing where they had previously, talking amongst themselves and drinking from their red cups. "I have a couple of people in mind that I think would like you just fine."

"I . . . I'm not very good at meeting people, if you haven't already noticed." Gerard glanced behind him, then back at Frank, and his eyes were wide with what could only be described as fear. 

"You have to be more confident in yourself, that's all. Just say hey and share your name, they'll take off with the rest of the conversation." Frank wasn't sure why, but his hand was drawing itself towards Gerard's wrist, closer and closer until his fingers were wrapping around the exposed skin and the static shock of electricity flourished everywhere. It was warm, borderline euphoric, and the both of them stiffened. Maybe Gerard stiffened up because he wasn't used to being touched, but Frank didn't want to look up and assess it, he needed to act naturally. He smiled at the boy who was staring at him with intense hazel eyes, leading him out to where the party was in movement.

As expected, people took double takes. No one had seen Gerard before, Mikey told him that Gerard was homeschooled for more than half of his school experience until they moved to Jersey and he was taken out of public school, not to mention that he graduated last year and never came out of his room. It must have been a bit strange for everyone to see Frank carefully hauling what seemed to be a complete stranger through the house, walking him over to his small circle of friends. 

"Hey guys, sorry I kind of disappeared." Frank smiled easily at them all, glancing at Gerard. "I was keeping him company, I thought you might want to meet him."

They all curiously shifted their gazes to the pale boy standing next to Frank, the down at his hand that was wrapped around his wrist. Frank let go after they noticed. Gerard's eyes were large and his cheeks were pink, it was concerning how terrified he looked. He wrung his hands together, lashes batting over his big eyes. 

"Hi, I'm . . . I'm Mikey's brother, Gerard." He stuttered, his voice soft as a flickering breeze during the fall.

"Mikey's brother, we finally get to meet you!" Ray was the first to brighten up. His full lips stretched back over his teeth in a warm smile, his hand patting Gerard's back before he pulled him into a half hug. Gerard squeaked, clearly stiff and uncomfortable under the sudden affection. 

"Oh he's so cute, Mikes, how did you manage to keep him locked up all these years?" Frances gushed, placing her hands over her cheeks and squealing. 

"He kept himself down there, mind you." Mikey rolled his eyes. 

"Oh, honey, where did you get that red eyeshadow? I really need it." Jamia stepped forward in amazement, meanwhile Frances and Kristin were squealing in unison over his hair. 

"It- uh, it - it's called Gash by Urban Decay." Gerard sputtered, shrinking away when the girls basically pounded on him, adoring him straight away. 

"Teach us how you do your makeup, your eyeliner is so evenly applied that mine is screaming in despair." Kristin mumbled, twirling a lock of his dark hair around her finger. 

"Girls, cut him a break. He's shy." Frank cut in when he noticed Gerard was falling silent and stiff from all of the touching and the people surrounding him. Although some may have found it endearing because his cheeks were pink and he fluttered his lashes whenever he flinched, but Frank knew genuine fear when he saw it.

The girls apologized and moved away, looking sheepish but still fascinated as ever. 

"Jesus, if I knew you would almost kill my brother then I wouldn't have let him come out here." Mikey shook his head. 

"He's got glitter on his shoulder." Ray pointed out with a grin and dusted the glitter off of Gerard's blazer for him. 

"Thanks." Gerard mumbled. 

Frank smiled slightly and he could sense his stress from miles away. He leaned in towards him. "Do you want to get a drink from the kitchen with me, Gerard?"

He had never seen someone so eager to get away.

___

At some point during the party, going completely unnoticed and silent, Gerard disappeared. Frank hadn't noticed he had slipped away from the crowd until the charge he had become used to after about an hour suddenly cut short and he felt cold all over. Shivering, he glanced behind him where Gerard had been standing just a second ago and the boy was no longer there, just the small empty space where he stood previously. His friends were still chattering and laughing about the awful camping trip Frances and her boyfriend recently went on together, not noticing Gerard's vanishing form as he had. He knew he would have been the first to notice it either way, their strange connection of auras was what made Frank hyperaware and sensitive of him. He was also confused - everything was going smoothly, Gerard would input on their conversation and no one acted cold towards him. They all loved Gerard already and in Frank's eyes, the evening was turning out well. At some point he must have gotten uncomfortable if he walked away, but the weirdest part was that he vanished into thin air. Frank turned around, scanning the whole room, and each head of black hair that he was a cheap Halloween wig or it belonged to another person. He had left entirely. 

Frank's eyes flitted out towards the back window, the one in the dining room that faced the woods. Somehow, as he squinted through the dark, he could see a figure walking into the wood. A human figure, and as the moon casted one of its white beams down onto it, Frank could see a flash of red.

Gerard's red tie.

"Hey guys, I'll be right back." Frank said, smiling at his friends. After they excused him, he too managed to slip through the crowd of people mingling in their costumes. Everyone seemed oblivious to him even as he softly asked them to move aside so there was room for him to squeeze through. His eyes kept moving across the room, making sure no one was looking as he opened the back door and slipped outside into the chilly autumn night. 

The moon was releasing brilliant rays of white light onto the land below, giving everything a silver glow. Occasionally, a cloud would pass over the sphere of rock and a shadow would warp the ground, eerily swallowing all of the light before it diminished an the silver lighting returned. Frank could still hear the giggles of children from the other side of the house and the music from the party inside and across the street, a distant shriek of terror followed by an outburst of laughter must have been from someone experiencing a fright. Frank could hear the crunching of fallen leaves underneath his shoes as he walked towards the woods, feel the dampness of the grass soaking lightly through his shoes. He could barely see the shadow of Gerard in the distance, he was slowly disappearing and Frank panicked. He didn't care if it was cold outside and all he had on was a thin long sleeve to keep his body heat in store, or the fact that he was about to follow a strange human being into the woods at night, there was something in his head softly whispering to him that he needed to know what Gerard planned to do out there at this hour, on this very night. His dream danced behind his eyelids in a flurry of dull colors and the faint image of Gerard's face, barely enough of an imprint since he had only seen the boy once before he dreamt of him. 

Frank began to walk faster to catch up to the figure that was slowly fading from view. He tried to keep quiet, avoiding fallen twigs and leaves so Gerard wouldn't know he was being followed. Once he was close enough again, he could feel their gravitational pull lifting into the air again and he felt light on his feet, nearly bouncing from the back of tree to tree just in case Gerard would glance behind him. Frank could see Gerard walking steadily on the path he himself had taken many times before and this indicated that it was not an unfamiliar trail to the latter. He looked so sure in each step he took, Frank was biting his lip and wondered if they shared the same safe space and this was why Gerard had seen him out here before. He didn't seem to know about Frank's gift - or maybe he did, but he was keeping his lips sealed about it. That was the wiser choice, Frank wasn't sure if he would forgive the boy if he told everyone his secret.

There came a point where they did reach the clearing Frank had visited perhaps too many times. Gerard stopped there, slowing edging towards the outer ring of the peaceful area, and Frank hid behind a tree while attempting to keep his nervous breath quiet. The charge in the air was inexplicably electric in this very moment, Frank could feel goosebumps raising over his cold skin and all of his hairs were standing on end once again this evening. He shivered, large eyes watching as Gerard crept towards something by the brush, his hand reaching out and brushing over it. As Frank squinted in the darkness, he could see the outline of a boulder pressed up against a tree. Gerard took a seat on top of the surface, palms facing down on the cool rock and his face tilted up to look at the moon. The silver of the light sucked away most color from any sort of skin tone, but Gerard's looked as white as a sheet of paper, pale and luminous under the greeting of the moon's beams. His hair was dark ink surrounding the canvas of his face and the red smudged around his eyes was the faintness of watercolor. Frank's fingers grasped the bark of the tree he was up against as he watched, anticipation growing into a solid oval in the pit of his stomach. His whole body was fighting this electric pull he felt and not revealing himself by walking towards the latter. He bit the inside of his cheek and wondered what the hell Gerard was going to do. If he was only innocently sitting there, then what was the purpose of him going out of his way to follow him with some part of his brain urging him to?

Gerard sighed softly, drawing Frank's full attention to him again. Gerard was gazing up at the sky still, but his lips parted to speak. "I know you're there, Frank. You can come out now."

Frank held in a gasp as a shock ran through his body. The heat of the shock was a great contrast to the cold seeping under his clothing and brushing over his sensitive skin. Gerard's eyes flickered towards his direction, one of his eyebrows arching in expectation. Frank's stomach fluttered, mind flitting over all of the possibilities that could have taken place that led to Gerard discovering him. Maybe he wasn't as quiet as he thought he was, or his breathing was too loud, or . . . or Gerard could sense him too. 

Frank swallowed hard as he stepped out from behind the tree, footsteps slow and careful. Gerard's eyes immediately trained to where he stood and their gazes connected in an instant, the latter's still filled with sparkling moonlight. Frank lost control of his movements and his body was carrying itself to where Gerard sat peacefully. Frank didn't have anymore moments of panic, he didn't believe Gerard was someone he was meant to fear. He held a strange amount of trust in his heart for him, almost like it had been there from the start. 

Frank sat on the same rock as Gerard, feeling the coldness of the rock seeping through his jeans. He shivered, rubbing his palms over his thighs. He looked to his heart to see Gerard watching him, his lips curling into a slow and soft smile that made every atom in Frank's body vibrate. He suppressed a shudder, straightening his spine and dropping his gaze down to the leaf infested floor. Frank had an intense, stomach tightening feeling that Gerard knew something and he would spill with the information any second. The way he looked at Frank, it was too intense for someone he had barely met a few days prior. Frank turned his feet inwards, nervously scraping his nails along the material of his jeans. 

"You know, don't you?" Frank asked, voice soft against the wind ruffling his and Gerard's hair. He licked his lips, being reminded of the fake fangs uncomfortably resting in his mouth, before he reached up and gently pried them out, shoving them into his front pocket. Gerard did the same, chuckling softly once his fangs were out.

"How could I not?" Gerard pursed his lips during a short pause. "I saw you four times, Frank. I was here first, or some days you were already standing in the clearing, and I would just watch you do that amazing thing you have the ability to do. It's beautiful, Frank, you know that, right?" He glanced at Frank in search of an answer.

Warmth spread through Frank's cheeks. He was both calm and mortified if those two were even possible to combine. Gerard knowing his secret wasn't terrible in the slightest bit, but Frank only felt his stomach drop because there was a large possibility of the person seeing being someone else, someone who would show the world the one thing he desired to keep to himself his entire life. 

"It is beautiful." Frank answered finally. He rubbed his hand over the side of his face and let it slide down his skin until it plopped back down into his lap and he was staring at his palm. A palm with a power no ordinary person possessed. "Healing, it's what some people work their entire lives to learn how to do. And I - I can do it just by touching a creature that's been broken. There's no long process, no check ups or bandages, just . . . magic. That's what it is."

Gerard gazed down at Frank's hands, his lips slightly open in amazement. "It's natural. There's no catch to what you do."

Frank shook his head, but a flicker of confusion brushed his mind when he suspected there was a further implication to what Gerard had just said. "Why would there be a catch?"

Gerard's eyes flickered upwards and caught Frank's curious gaze. Gerard's pupils were pulsing in his irises, alive with some sort of energy that Frank could hear humming in the air the moment their eyes locked together. 

"It isn't a part of nature to heal with magic. Magic isn't supposed to exist, not the kind that finds loopholes in the cycle of life." Gerard's jaw locked, lips pursing. He moved closer, and Frank choked on a gasp when tingles broke out all over his body. He looked down and realized it was only Gerard's fingertips grazing his palm, hot and gentle. Just like in the dream. 

"You're a pure source of power. I've never seen one of those on my life." Gerard breathed. His eyes flickered down to Frank's lips, his nose, his eyes again, then repeating the cycle. "I wish I was born that way."

"Having this kind of power is amazing and all, but it's crippling at the same time." Frank rubbed his hands together after Gerard was no longer touching them and his skin feel cold. "Whenever I know that an animal is hurt, or if I catch one glimpse at it, this energy starts building up in me until it gets so hot that I just want to rip my skin off. It feels like my whole body loses feeling and the power is just going to break me into pieces, I have to do it."

"Or it feels like you'll pass out." Gerard whispered. 

Frank's eyebrows scrunched, his lips parting. "How-?"

"I have a gift, too." Gerard's lips parted into a knowing smirk, sending Frank's body into a shock. "Although it isn't quite as convenient as yours. Mine is . . . it's dysfunctional."

Frank lit up in intrigue once a few moments of shocked silence fell heavy over the both of them. He turned his body so he was facing Gerard and he rested his hands on the rock. "What can you do?"

Gerard glanced at Frank from below his eyelashes, the smirk curving his lips losing the bitter bite to it and softening considerably after assessing the open look of wonder on Frank's face. "Do you really want me to show you?"

Frank nodded quickly, their connection as solid as ropes tying them together in that very moment. He pressed his legs together, eyes following Gerard while he stood up and offered for Frank to take his slender pale hand.

"Follow me."


	4. Power of the Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Opposites attract, and in this case, they aren't quite as opposite as one would imagine.

Gerard had brought Frank to an area of the woods he didn't recognize. The moment of panic he felt when he was hit with the possibility of never finding their way back passed quickly because Gerard was so sure in his steps, he knew the path clearly and they wouldn't be lost in the woods forever if one of them had a sense of direction. Gerard's fingers were firmly wrapped around Frank's wrist, giving off the blissful heat Frank only felt with him. Not in a romantic sense, but in a literal one, and he believed it had something to do with the fact that magic charged through their bodies no matter how different their powers would end up being. The touch was like a never ending thrill, a shot of adrenaline in his bloodstream that kept shocking him to the point where his heart was racing and at times, he would forget how to breathe. Frank was nearly pressed against Gerard's side, shameful to admit that he craved more of the exhilarated feeling and he was milking it from keeping in contact with Gerard's body mass. 

Gerard was another being in the moonlight and Frank's eyes kept falling upon his face without his permission more times than he could count. His pale skin was the color of a pearl, glowing the same way the precious jewel would if it were underneath the same source of light. Something about his skin was incredibly youthful, satin over wiry muscle and a softly curved jawline, smooth as a child's new skin. He was the light and the dark bleeding into one seemingly celestial being. Frank could attempt to deny Gerard's beauty for the rest of his life and each time he would fail, even if the latter carried visible flaws. He was still beautiful and no one was as perfect as a porcelain doll, nor did anyone exist simply for aesthetic pleasure. He wondered if Gerard knew his looks were as intriguing as his personality, the strangeness and charm he possessed. 

Gerard suddenly stopped in another clearing - a meadow full of lush green grass and sprouting flowers, delicate dandelions and violet colored petals blooming from the ground, swaying in a soft hello while the breeze flitted through the blades of grass and pushed over the stems of the flowers. Daffodils randomly splashed a color of bright yellow over the shades of green and purple. Gerard stood towards the edge of the meadow, sitting down on a fallen tree trunk with long curling roots long since dead and graying. He scooted over some and gestured for Frank to take a seat next to him as he had done earlier with the boulder. Frank sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, quietly plopping down next to Gerard and huffing out a soft sigh through his nose. 

"This is where I come to meditate, become more in touch with nature and my power in order to purify it." Gerard whispered. "It never works."

Frank frowned. "Then why do you still come here if it doesn't work?"

"I'm not a quitter, and I also refuse to be a failure." Gerard bent down, reaching out and brushing his fingers over the dewy blades of grass. digging his finger in and grasping the stem of a daffodil. Plucking it from the ground, he cracked a soft smile and sat back up. He handed the flower to Frank - a small gift from himself and nature. 

Frank returned the smile in his own meek way, carefully taking the flower between his two fingers. He twirled it between the pads of his fingers, watching a small drop of water slip off of one of the yellow petals. "What do you do? Your power."

Gerard watched the flower twirling in Frank's hand, a lock of his hair fluttering across his cheek where the wind caused it to fall into his face. His eyes flickered to Frank's face, eyes shining brightly and flashing like two stars in the midnight sky, emerald and shocking Frank into silence. He focused on the flower again that had stopped twisting between Frank's finger, and he reached out to gently graze his fingers over the back of Frank's hands. Sparks were audible, Frank swore his skin was glowing where Gerard had touched it. Gerard reached the tiny daffodil, his eyes fluttering shut, and his fingers stopped over the thin green stem.

The flower began to rapidly wilt. Petals fell off the golden center, the center that grayed to the horrible shade that would only be found in a corpse, and the rotting flower finally fell to the floor when Frank let it go the second the stem began to feel like the consistency of mush between his fingertips. His mouth hung open in shock as he stared at the rotted mess of what was left of the daffodil on the ground, sadly crumbling to dust until the wind picked up the tiny particles and carried it away from the sight. His breath became erratic, his mind processing what had happened underneath Gerard's touch.

"It's like a gift from hell." Gerard choked out, yanking his hand away from Frank's and cradling it to his chest while his face wore a grimace of disgust. "And I know I can do worse. It's why I begged my mother to take me out of school, I couldn't control what I didn't know about. All I knew was that I must have been some sort of monster to be able to kill anything with my mind."

Frank shook his head, wiping his hands on his jeans. "Gerard, you're not a monster. You have control of it now and you're trying to purify it, you don't go out killing people." Frank hesitated, a sliver of dread sliding coldly down the column of his spine. "Y-you . . . you don't do that, right?"

Gerard shot him the coldest glare he had yet to see in his entire life. "Of course not, Frank, why would I ever do that?"

"I'm not accusing you of anything." Frank swallowed, setting his lips into a serious line so Gerard could see he was telling the truth. "There's just no other reason for you to call yourself a monster."

"It's easy for you to say when you have such a beautiful, pure power." Gerard snapped suddenly, lithely rising to his feet and raking his hand through his hair. "You don't know what it's like, Frank. It feels like I shouldn't be touching anything or anyone, that's why I isolate myself."

Frank's stomach plummeted not with pity, but with sympathy for the person in front of him. He knew he was right and he couldn't possibly know what it felt like to possess such a dark power, let alone constantly feel like he was going to lose control of it. His teeth gently bit into the flesh of his bottom lip, not quite knowing what to say. Eventually he did find proper words to say, but he was weary that they wouldn't do much to soothe Gerard.

"You've made it this far without killing anyone, Gerard. It may seem like a curse to you, but it's fascinating to me even if that's slightly sick of me to say. I've never seen anything like it." Frank trailed off at the end, looking up at the shadow of Gerard who became illuminated by the moonlight. 

Gerard sighed, turned his body so he was looking down into Frank's wide eyes again. He smiled without a sign of humor, only a humble softness hinted with the bitter edge of something Frank couldn't quite identify. "Do you really think me killing things is entertaining?"

Frank turned red in a quick second. "Well, when you put it that way, it sounds really bad."

Gerard laughed it off quietly as he settled down beside Frank again. His tongue swept over his bottom lip, wetting the chapped flesh. "Can you do anything else, Frank?"

"I don't think so." Frank answered honestly and flipped his hands over to gaze at his palms. "I've only ever had the instinct to heal, so that's all I've done."

"Do you think you could bring things back to life?" Gerard deadpanned, lashes fluttering innocently despite the heaviness of his question. A shock ran through Frank's body and tingled underneath his skin, and the question in itself was enough to have the gears in Frank's brain sparking with a question he had only ever asked himself once before discarding it to the back of his head. There was a reason why he kept it locked away and never tested it out, which was why he felt terribly uneasy now.

"I don't know, and I would rather not test the theory." Frank turned his face away, only for Gerard to gently tilt his head back in his direction with the warm touch of his two fingers. 

"Can we try?"

Frank's eyes widened in terror - the thought of finding something dead, bringing it back from a land of peace to the world when it wasn't meant to be brought back by any sort of force. He opened his lips as if to speak, but all that came out was fragments of stammered sentences until he shut his eyes for a moment to compose himself.

"No, never." Frank pulled his face away from Gerard's grasp, rapidly shaking his head.

"Why not, Frank? Wouldn't that be amazing?" Gerard was restless in his touching. He wrapped his fingers around Frank's wrist, giving it a soft squeeze the latter could feel through the stream of electricity flowing up his arm.

"It isn't natural." Frank whispered. "When something or someone dies, it's supposed to stay that way. Everything dies for a reason. There's some sort of unspoken cycle that we shouldn't mess with, Gerard, and I'm not going to be the first one to fuck with it."

"But what if it isn't terrible as you think it is?" Gerard urged with bright eyes. "What if it was a household pet, as an example. You trained it, you looked after it, and you loved it. What if there was an accident, one that took your pet away from you. Wouldn't you want to bring it back?"

"Of course, but that isn't supposed to happen. What if there's a catch to it?" Frank stared down at where they were touching, suddenly being overwhelmed by the wave of panic settling inside him. Gerard's eyes would have been enough to convince him to go against his morals in the decision he made, and this was the exact reason why he avoided them.

"I can bring death, Frank." Gerard murmured. His voice was so tranquil, all the more reason for Frank to be uneasy. "What is more unnatural than killing something when it isn't its time yet? That is the real intrusion in the cycle of life. I never give it a chance to come full circle because it isn't finished living. But Frank, what if you can give anything another chance? You would be a fucking hero."

"I don't want to be, my powers are a secret and it's going to stay that way." Frank was already more than fed up with the topic of conversation, the almost pleading way Gerard was speaking to him. He knew nothing was going to convince him to attempt something he was against even if he did have the power in him to do it, he knew the difference between right and wrong well enough to stay away from anything that categorized under the latter. Frank stood up to leave, trying to keep his breath as a regular pace during this short wave of panic.

"Please don't leave, I didn't mean to . . ." Gerard was suddenly behind Frank again, the feeling of his presence and the way their energy linked together making Frank stop in his tracks - and how vulnerable Gerard sounded in that moment. He paused, which was a way of telling the latter to continue on with his statement.

"I didn't mean to freak you out." Gerard sighed, stepping just a centimeter closer, but it was enough to make Frank gasp as his ears began to ring. "You're the only person who has a remotely similar ability to mine, I trusted you with this because I knew you would understand. I just . . . I want to know about you, I want to know about everything you can do. It's so special, the polar opposite of my power. I spent my whole life believing I was an abomination in nature, now I know there's someone out there who lives with this."

Frank was close to choking on the swell of sentiment rising from his chest to the middle of his throat. They weren't tears, but it was a knitted knot of emotion soaring so suddenly in his body that he was shocked into silence. He wasn't going to be cruel and shove it all away, not when he knew exactly what Gerard felt. He struggled with himself constantly, wondering if what he possessed was a gift or a curse, an abnormality or a privilege. He should have feared what Gerard was capable of, but there was no source of disgust or weariness in him even after he watched death become a source of power inside a human being. The power of death was entirely possible, and now that Frank had witnessed it, there was no longer any fragment of him denying that bringing life wasn't possible. If he looked down at his hands now, there was a dangerous echo of curiosity awaiting to take over. He sucked in a silent breath, tearing his eyes away from his palms that were slightly reddened by the cold air they were exposed to.

"How would I try it?" Frank whispered, squeezing his eyes shut so tight that spots of white and other color danced behind the thin skin of his eyelids. "Something could go very wrong, I've never had the guts to just man up and see for myself if there are any consequences."

"I have one experiment that I did months ago." Gerard said, moving in front of Frank so he was now a glowing sight in front of the boy. "One successful experiment, but only because it had magic implanted inside it already."

Frank looked up at Gerard for answers. Gerard nodded once, the corner of his lips trembling in an odd smile. "It was a bird you healed. I found it after it had been shot by a hunter out here, twitching and bleeding out. I had to perform a spell to turn my magic inside out, as I like to say, meaning the spell would switch it over to light magic so it could bring to bird back to life. Usually this never works, it will only twitch and gasp before it . . . deforms and dies again. But, Frank, this bird came back to life and it follows me everywhere now." Gerard pointed to Frank. "It follows you, too."

"The - the raven? The one with the white feather?" Frank recalled the bird he kept spotting everywhere he went after healing it, the one he had seen in the woods countless times and in front of his home, even Mikey's house.

"I named her Claudia. After the girl from Interview With the Vampire." Gerard smiled fondly at the mention of the name. He brought two fingers to his lips, opening them and forming his lips in the correct shape to whistle loudly into the darkness he was facing. The sound echoed ominously, rattling Frank to his core, and the latter wrapped his arms around himself as a wave of chills brought out over his skin.

The whistle had somehow summoned the raven. There she was, soaring from out of the brush with her wings spread wide and luminous in the night, coming to perch itself onto Gerard's shoulder before gently pecking his cheek with her beak in an oddly tender gesture. She looked Frank in the face, her head tilting to the side, and she made a clicking sound upon her arrival. Frank's lips were parted in shock, watching as Gerard pet her feathers fondly, and the bird never flinched under the contact.

"How the hell did you train her to do that?" Frank breathed in amazement.

"She's no ordinary bird, Frank." Gerard smirked softly, gazing at his through the corner of his eye in such a way that made him look like a true vampire - his pale skin, dark hair, the raven perched on his shoulder. "She's been touched by both types of magic, had a spell performed on her. It all made her very intelligent and out of the ordinary. I would like to say she's my bird, but I don't have to heart to cage her." Gerard's finger stroked her head and she leaned it into the palm of his hand, dark eyes fluttering shut. The pair fit together like two puzzle pieces despite the difference of their nature. A kinship Frank was amazed to see. 

"Why did you summon her?" Frank asked softly. He reached out to touch the bird, but stopped midways to ask of her permission before he laid a finger on her feathers. She blinked up at him, bowing her head, and he continued in his movement. She was smooth, silky and pretty under his fingers. She clicked again, nudging his hand with her head. 

Gerard smiled, gazing at the two of them. "I'm going to kill Claudia."

Frank pulled back with a sharp gasp of horror, like he had been burned by Gerard's words. "You can't kill Claudia, I thought she was your pet?"

"She won't stay dead, Frank." Gerard said softly. He lifted his hand and brushed his cool knuckles across Frank's flushed cheek, reassuring him with his large hazel eyes. "You can bring her back and it will be like nothing ever happened."

Frank whimpered quietly. "But . . . but what if I can't bring her back? What happens then?"

"I can perform the same spell I did before on her." Gerard turned his head and smiled at his raven, nudging under her chin with his pointer finger. "You trust me, don't you, girl?" Gerard shrugged his shoulder and held his arm out, letting her waddle her way down the length of the limb until she was perched on his fingers, fluffing her feathers and blinking up at Frank expectantly.

"Fuck, Gerard, do I even want to watch you do it?" Frank shuddered, his eyes widening. 

"No." Gerard whispered, and the quietness of his voice was solemn with sadness. "It will be quick, but I suggest at least one of us looks away."

Frank's stomach turned for the worst. As an animal lover, he was fully aware that if he so much as took a small peek at the event about to take place, the image would forever be burned into his memory no matter how much he didn't want it there. Swallowing down the anxiety bubbling in his chest, he turned his back on Gerard and the raven and shut his eyes just to keep it as safe and concealed as possible. His nail was digging into the skin beside his thumbnail, tearing the flesh in a nervous habit he had developed when he was very young. He could hear Gerard's soft words of explanation and reassurance to his raven, and he wondered if she understood what was about to take place. If she was as smart as Gerard said she was, Frank hoped she trusted the both of them enough to let herself become an experiment to a greater power - something she had unknowingly been before.

All was silent for a long moment. Then, there were the cries of pain, the snapping of bone that had Frank biting so hard into his lip that the skin tore and a trickle of blood trailed down his chin. He thought he was going to be nauseous, but it was only a hot turmoil of sadness and horror. It went quiet rather quickly, until there was a soft thud and a whimper coming from behind Frank. He tensed, waiting for another sound.

"It - it's done." Gerard's voice was rough, wavering through what could only be a film of tears. 

Frank slowly turned around to assess the scene. His eyes found Gerard first, the boy who was holding his fist against his mouth and slowly backing away, eyes filled with tears. He looked disgusted with himself for only a moment until he noticed Frank staring at him. He quickly wiped all expression away from his face, slouching over and fiddling with his fingers the way he had when they first met. Frank dropped his eyes to the ground immediately gasped at the first thing he saw there.

Claudia, her wings and neck bent at such horribly unnatural angles, dead on the ground. Not a single twitch came out of her, meaning her death had been instant, and Frank would rather that than have her suffer a slow death. Although he would have preferred for her to stay alive over any other option. While staring at her with his mouth curving into a grimace, he was suddenly overtaken by the strongest wave of pure urge he had ever felt. His knees buckled, his skin flushing with a nearly painful pins and needles pricking, and he felt it travel up and down his body in quick successions. It was a feeling like none other he had experienced before, the punch in the gut you received seconds before getting sick and hunching over the toilet for what felt like hours. But no bile rose in his throat, there was no wicked churning in his body, only blood rising under his skin with an unbearable heat, palms charging with the heat as strong as the sting of receiving a fresh burn. He would pass out if he didn't release this magic right now, he could feel it.

Frank was panting as he fell to his knees abruptly, crawling over to the bird to retrieve it. The ground was freezing cold and the moisture from the grass was soaking through the knees of his jeans, a bitter collision with the burning warmth raging in his skin. He hissed from the pain, his shaking hands retrieving the corpse of the raven and bringing her to his lap. His hands laid over her body as he trembled, clenching his teeth as another wave of need rocked his spine and he broke into a spasm-like shudder. He held her close, shutting his eyes and focusing on one single image in his head; the image of her alive, breathing, the picture that would make everything come together.

When he felt his magic draining out of his palms, he had to stop himself from slumping over in relief, and the only thing that came out of him was a weak moan as soon as the urge was leaving his system and the blood rushing quickly through his very veins. It was like all of the pieces were falling together, the blissful feeling took course as he expected it to, and he hung his head forward until the final drop of his magic was transferred into the raven he cradled close to his body.

When he opened his eyes and his electricity finally stopped like a blanket falling away from his head, the first thing he felt was his skin rapidly cooling with the fresh air outside. He had broken out into a sweat, he could feel the stickiness coating his skin and his forehead. His chest was heaving slightly. blurry sight taking in the grassy ground he was kneeling on. 

And then, sudden movement in his hands caused him to flinch and inhale sharply.

Claudia was twitching, her feathers flapping frantically after they had regained structure, and she wriggled around in his hands until she was standing upright in his palms, ruffling her feathers and letting out a soft squawk. 

Claudia was alive again.

"Frank." Gerard said his name with a strained voice, a mixture of shock and near disbelief. Frank was still staring at Claudia who didn't look the least bit shaken, she was only gazing up at Frank, then proceeding to gently peck at his fingers, cooing in a silent thank you for what he had just done - and what he had just done was not being processed quick enough. His hands were shaking, and he wasn't sure if it was due to shock or to the withdrawal of magic from his body. He looked into her eyes, still seeing the glint of life in them, and how she seemed to know that Frank had somehow brought her back to life.

Frank brought Claudia back to life.

"Oh my god." Frank choked out, scrambling to his feet with the bird still in his hands. "Oh shit, I-"

"You brought her back. Frank, you brought her back to life!" Gerard exclaimed, striding in front of Frank and gripping his forearms. His eyes were wide, bright, flickering back and forth between Claudia and Frank's pale face. 

"I didn't know I . . . she was fucking dead, and I - Gerard, I had the urge to do it. It was the strongest thing I ever felt, like I was going to drop to the floor if I didn't get the magic out of me right then and there."

"You have it in you." Gerard was nodding slowly, hands traveling up Frank's arms until his fingers gripped his shirt and tugged. "Do you realize how fucking amazing that is?"

Claudia chirped between them both. She had been perfected all over again, with no sign of any injury, and she was hopping onto Gerard again without missing a beat. She settled on his shoulder, her raven feathers blending in with Gerard's dark hair, and Frank finally allowed his lips to stretch into a wild grin that mirrored Gerard's.

The beginning of a journey Frank had yet to take.


	5. Dreams of the Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreamwalking can either bring fascination or the truth to the surface.

After Halloween night, it felt like the entire world had shifted into another pattern, one that Frank had never expected to fall into. However, he felt much more in tune with himself and what he truly was as he eased into it, it was like the canvas of the world was with the brightest colors he had never had the heart to discover for himself. His new world involved magic, the taste of sweet coffee made by experienced hands, a humming of pleasant electricity keeping him warm even if he was out in the cold without a jacket to hide his body from the chilly wind. A raven watching over him like a guardian angel was always with him and its guardian, a beautiful specimen with a touch of black tainting his bright aura due to the magic, the black magic, darkening his blood. But he was anything but evil. To Frank, he held the sun and the moon in his hands and his long string of words always kept Frank captivated. He was no longer a stranger, but a comrade, one Frank was grateful to have at his arm at all times. Some would say their friendship was unexpected and odd, but no one would understand the reason why they linked together like two missing puzzle pieces, and Frank preferred to keep it that way - their secret in their own little world of magic, of understanding and acceptance. 

The person who was the most surprised by the sudden sprouting of their friendship was Mikey. It was comical, really, how Frank had showed up at Mikey's door and after telling him he was there to see Gerard, his eyes had widened to the size of dinner plates. He wasn't displeased by it because he was relieved his brother was finally attempting to be social with someone, but he hadn't expected his own best friend to be the person Gerard chose to keep by his side. Frank was glad Mikey hadn't grown uncomfortable over it, he was worried for a long while that Mikey wouldn't appreciate his friend going over to his house to see his brother instead of him. He never complained, only welcomed Frank inside and told him to keep Gerard company for as long as he wanted. Once the tension of not knowing how he would react had passed, Frank freely divided his time between the both of them and everything fell into an easy swing of calmness.

Frank loved spending time with Gerard. He was like a breath of fresh air, someone Frank felt completely normal around because they were the same, and yet so different in their source of power. Gerard would take Frank to the backyard, the woods, tell him old stories he had learned about witch trials back in the day, witches hidden in society, the types of power others had in fables he couldn't decipher if they were true or not. Frank was always eager to listen, the softness of Gerard's voice sucking away all of his worries and somehow making his bones melt in his body. Together, they would practice their magic - learning how to use it with only their minds. It took a great deal of concentration and focus, but eventually, they learned how and they went hand in hand with their powers that never ceased to fascinate each other. Gerard would gaze at a flower sprouting from the ground, wilting it to death, and Frank would lean forward an inch and bring it back to life, watching it grow larger than it had been before, and all of the petals spread out beautifully. Like art, destruction and birth, a personal showcase for the witches. 

Claudia was also a companion of theirs. She was free, but she knew she was bound to them and she would always return to them at the end of the day. It was like an unofficial ownership since their magic was living inside her. The raven was sweet and gentle, always brining a smile to their faces whenever she broke through the trees and landed gracefully on either one of their shoulders. Some days, she would fly away and be free as any bird would, but she never disappeared for more than a week. If the pair happened to be around any other people, she would keep her distance outdoors and come back to them when they were alone again. 

In Gerard's basement bedroom, Frank was currently flopped down on the latter's bed, the sheets that smelled like old paper, coffee, and the penetrating scent of cigarettes from when he used to smoke. Gerard had cut off that habit some time ago, but the stink never faded as he said. Music was thrumming through the radio on Gerard's desk that he currently sat in front of, a pencil poised between his fingers and the led gliding over the thick sketch paper he set out in front of him. Frank was watching Gerard as he drew, how he poked his tongue out from the corner of his mouth before he licked his lips and parted them. His dark eyebrows scrunched up whenever he made a mistake and he would quickly erase whatever he had done wrong, then his face smoothed out again as he continued on.

Mikey hadn't been wrong when he told Frank his brother created gruesome art. He had bloody portraits strung up all over the walls, images of tortured souls and red paint splattered over the surface for the affect of someone who had just been murdered. Grisly monsters, skin split open, all images of death that suddenly made sense now. It wasn't that Gerard was a serial killer obsessed with blood and gore, but it all connected back to his power and the nightmares it gave him. Gerard had mentioned them once, the images of blood behind his eyes while he slept. 

"Are you drawing one of your dreams?" Frank asked softly, flipping onto his stomach and facing Gerard. 

Gerard smiled softly, brushing his unbrushed hair away from his face. "No, not today. I'm drawing you and Claudia."

Frank's head lifted in interest. "Really?"

Gerard nodded, biting his lip. "Do you want to see what I've got so far?"

Frank grinned and stood up from the bed, crossing the distance between them to look at what Gerard had been drawing. It was an image of Frank with Claudia settled on his hand, both of them in shades of black and red. But Frank took the appearance of a vampire, his eyes glowing amber in the shadows and his fangs gleaming behind his smirking lips. Claudia was gorgeous, her eyes tinted red and her body was curved in towards Frank. 

"This is great, Gerard, how the hell do you draw stuff like this with no reference pictures?" Frank brushed his fingers over the corner of the page, drinking in the way his hand looked exactly the way it did in reality.

"I've seen the both of you enough to know what I'm doing. If I get lost over some part, you're right there next to me, so that's way better than a reference photo." Gerard set down his pencil, pushing his chair away from the desk. 

"You talented people, I admire you but I'm also fucking jealous." Frank playfully jabbed Gerard's arm, straightening up and smiling fondly at the person who was already smiling right back.

While Gerard stood up to sift through one of his crates of art supplies on the other side of the room, Frank wandered over to the bookshelf he had pressed against the wall. All of the top shelves were filled, books lined up in rows and filling the empty spaces except for the last two empty shelves at the bottom. As his eyes dragged over the spines of the plethora of books, he came to realize that they were all organized into alphabetical order, all ranging from thick to slim, the colors varying. The more he looked, he also noticed that almost every book Gerard owed had something to do with magic - fictional tales, history, spell books. Although, the spell books were more than likely bullshit since magic didn't work the way a normal person thought it did. He snorted softly, sliding one out from the shelf. 

The title was in a different language, white print melted into the thick leather cover and embroidered vines wrapping around the spine. The pages were yellow at one angle, but if he titled it to the right, he could see the shine of silver that the light gave it. It looked old and worn out, but that was what intrigued Frank the most. He turned around and headed back to Gerard's bed, cracking it open and immediately being hit with the scent of rosemary. 

"Hey, Gerard?" Frank asked.

"Yeah?" The latter called back, still rummaging through the crate.

"What is this book?" Frank asked, looking up from the first blank page stained with time. 

Gerard turned around with his eyebrows raised in a questioning manner. Frank shut the book and held it up with the cover facing Gerard so he could see it for himself. Gerard glanced at it, his eyes twinkling immediately. 

"Funny how that one caught your attention." His lips smoothed into a half smile and he stood up from his leaning position, crossing the room and flopping down onto the bed beside Frank.

"What language is the title in?" Frank asked, his fingers running over the bumpy font. 

"Latin." Gerard answered, titling his head to the side. "'Lunam Carmina Ducite ab Sanguis'."

"I have no idea what that means."

Gerard chuckled, bumping Frank's side with his. "'Spells From the Blood Moon.'"

"That sounds awfully complex for something so simple in English." Frank shook his head, eyes sweeping over the title again.

"Latin is awfully fancy, I suppose ancient witchcraft is written in that language because we're all a bunch of show offs." Gerard snickered, flipping open the cover and the first few pages. The third page was an illustration of a naked woman laying inside of a pentagram, her throat slit and her face angelic compared to the face of the demon crawling up from an opening in the ground to retrieve her. 

"Where did you get this?" Frank carefully turned the fragile page, revealing the paragraphs worth of inked Latin and drawings of various forms of pentagrams, herbs and tarot cards.

"I found it in a library at some witchcraft convention. It was full of a bunch of goth women and gypsies, I went to see if anyone there was genuinely one of my kind." Gerard scooted closer to get a better look, his side pressing into Frank's and sending mutual sparks throughout their bodies. Frank blushed and tried to focus on the cursive writing.

"Do you think this stuff is real witchcraft? I mean, this could easily be a prop from a movie or something, if you knew Latin then I'm sure you would be more than capable of making something like this."

"The woman who gave it to me told me that it was, and it's centuries years old. Only a true witch can use these spells, the ones who go around making health potions and burning sage can't trigger this sort of power because they aren't real witches." Gerard explained softly, his pale pianist fingers brushing over an illustration of a raven beside a spell. "All human beings are in touch with energy in nature, some more than others because they are aware of it, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're witches."

Frank was mildly surprised that Gerard obtained so much knowledge about the world of witches while he knew nothing at all, but the shock dissolved almost immediately when he reminded himself that this was Gerard, one of the smartest human beings to ever exist, and Frank had spent all his life now even knowing what to label himself.

"So, do you think that if you and I conjured something up from this book, it would work?" Frank inquired hesitantly. 

Gerard took his lip between his teeth and nibbled on it softly in thought. "I think so, if it is a true spell book at as that lady said. It was a witchcraft convention, she could have been baiting me, but then again it was a library and she said I could keep it without a charge."

"But our powers are only limited to certain things." Frank added. "Even if we do have power, we're only capable of life and death."

Gerard drew his eyebrows together in deep thought, looking away from the book for a moment to take Frank's statement into consideration. Frank waited patiently for him to speak, turning the page and attempting to piece together some of the words he read. The language was ancient, meaning other languages had branched off of it, and he found some similarities to words he did know in Spanish and Italian. Not enough to make out any sentences, though. 

"Why don't we try and see if we do have more than one gift?" Gerard asked suddenly. "What if our powers can expand to other things, but we just never tried it?"

Frank raised his eyebrows at the boy who had suddenly brightened up. "What, you mean like flying on brooms?"

Gerard laughed, the goofy sound sending Frank's heart into a strange frenzy. "No! I mean as in levitating, or setting shit on fire."

"Sounds dangerous." Frank mumbled.

"We are dangerous, sweetheart." Gerard took the book from Frank's lap, standing up with a playful smirk. "I'm pretty much fluent in Latin since I took lessons on it. What do you say to us going to study this outside?"

As weary as Frank was over messing with a book full of drawings of sacrifice and pentagrams, there was something about the Latin text and the lack of fear on Gerard's face that had his curiosity getting the better half of him. It would be amazing to see what else he could do with his mind if that were a possibility, he would no longer feel so in the dark about himself. Gerard was holding out his hand to him expectantly, prepared to be a mentor even if he was also still discovering himself. Frank wasn't so afraid anymore when he gazed down at the pale, elegant hand reaching out for him, asking for his trust.

"Fine," Frank gave in, taking Gerard's hand and clambering to his feet. "Maybe some part of me wants to fly on a broom."

__

They settled for practicing their magic in the meadow Gerard had lead Frank to on the night of Halloween. Frank now preferred it over the original clearing he would go to all the time, the meadow was much more enclosed and peaceful even if he did miss the gentle bubbling of the creek he had become to used to. The meadow was also more than pleasing to the eyes, the lushness of the grass was as comfortable as a pillow to Frank and laying in it satisfied his need to be connected to nature somehow. As he and Gerard arrived, they sat in the middle of the clearing with the book, the wind blowing through their hair and turning their cheeks rosy.

Gerard was reading the spells out loud softly, only translating them and not focusing enough for them to have any sort of affect. Frank listened to him speak. laying on the ground and looking up at the soft blue sky above them. His hands rested over his stomach, fingers folder together, and when he looked to his right, he saw Gerard sitting up with his eyes focused on the spell book in his hands. 

"Sonitu placide mollia terrare, ut ignis indignati dulci terrae." Gerard murmured softly, his lips barely moving as he uttered the words. "The calm of the earth so soft and sound, may fire bring fury to the sweet of the ground."

"I wonder how much fire that would create." Frank whispered.

"I would guess it could either set the entire forest on fire, or maybe it would erupt in our hands. I don't mess with pyro power, it's too unpredictable." Gerard paled a bit, biting his lip.

Frank's lips turned up in amusement. "Are you afraid of fire, Gerard?"

"Only slightly. Mikey almost set the house on fire once when we were little, he shoved a fork in the toaster." Gerard smiled slightly, giving Frank a sideways glance.

Frank propped himself up on his elbows, chuckling softly. "Sounds like Mikey."

Gerard shook his head slowly with a smile and returned to the book, reading further into it. He found something a few minutes later, however, that caught his attention. "Hey, why don't we try this one?" Gerard ran his finger over the text. "It involves dreams."

"What does it say?" Frank peered over the page.

"'Somniis nobis dulcia dissimulavimus. Profertis quidnam esset visio quam noster de amino exitium.'" Gerard read, then translated the spell. "'Sweet are our dreams as we shut our eyes. Bring forward the vision that is our mind's demise.'"

"What does it do?"

Gerard grinned. "It means we can see each other's dreams, we can live in each other's dreams like it's reality. Doesn't that sound amazing?"

Frank did think the concept was amazing - he had wondered many times what others dreamt about, what went on inside their head while they were sleeping. Dreams were like a form of art, visions of color and of people, sensation that was so close to being real if your conscious wasn't aware that what you saw there was imaginary. He knew Gerard's dreams were quite violent, that alone had Frank biting the inside of his cheek, but the thing about Frank's dreams-

Well, there was a possibility of Gerard seeing that one dream that starred the both of them, kissing each other into oblivion, touching what they could as adrenaline pumped through their bodies.

"Well, don't we both have nightmares?" Frank softly asked, making up half of the subject at matter. "I have them too, about . . . about trying to bring things and people back to life, but killing them instead."

Gerard softened at the false confession, so much that Frank felt guilty for lying about it. It was only one dream holding him back, one of a heated night he couldn't chase away from his mind whenever his eyes happened to fall upon Gerard's lips. 

"I trust you with my dreams. Not all are terrifying, some are just dreams of me walking through the woods and being able to do something other than kill objects. I'm sure whatever you've seen can't be any worse than my dreams."

Frank swallowed quietly, feeling like his mouth was to dry all of a sudden. "Are you sure about this? The dreams will be unpredictable, what if-"

"Frank, it'll be okay." Gerard spoke in that silky, soothing tone of voice that always made Frank's worrisome words getting stuck in his throat before they had a chance to travel to his lips. Gerard was readjusting himself so he sat directly in front of Frank, his legs folding and the book coming to rest in his lap.

Frank sighed in defeat, sitting upright correctly and mimicking the way Gerard had crossed his legs, his palms resting on his knees.

"It says here that we have to say the spell together, palm to palm, with our eyes closed." Gerard instructed, glancing down at the book.

"I don't know how to speak Latin." Frank muttered.

"It will work in English, we just have to really focus if we do it that way." Gerard raised his palms up midways, opening his hands and welcoming Frank to press his own against them. "You can repeat after me."

Frank took in a shuddery breath - he couldn't believe he was going to do this, his heart was racing at a million miles an hour. He could only imagine how it would feel to express his power in all sorts of different ways, learn spells and expel the energy from his palms and his mind. He looked up at Gerard from under his eyelashes, opening his shaky hands and bringing them closer until there was static crackling in the tiny space between their hands. When they touched, they were both shocked by a tiny jolt of electricity, but neither one flinched hard enough to disrupt the connection.

"Sweet are our dreams as we shut our eyes. Bring forward the vision that is our mind's demise." Gerard began slowly, keeping steady and intense eye contact with Frank.

"Sweet are our dreams as we shut our eyes. Bring forward the visions that is our mind's demise." Frank repeated the verse slowly, his voice soft and unsure in the way it came out. Gerard nodded in approval, his fingers twitching over Frank's, and his eyes fluttered shut. Frank did the same, focusing on the connection and current running between their hands.

"Sweet are our dreams as we shut our eyes. Bring forward the visions that is our mind's demise." They spoke the verse together, slowly and pressing each word together. They repeated it once more, twice more, thrice more, until their voices were louder than soft murmurs and became a stronger force, their tones and volumes matching together until they were one of the same, melting into each other easily and speaking the spell until the was a weightless feeling filling up Frank's insides, warm chills traveling up his arms and over his shoulders, his head, until it finally crackled like an electric current in his spine and his body jolted.

Frank couldn't feel Gerard anymore. There was nothing pressing against his palms anymore, not ever the warmth covering his body like a thick blanket during the winter. He was uneasy at the lack of contact, so much that he opened his eyes slowly to see if the latter was still there. That was when he panicked - Gerard had vanished, Frank wasn't even in the same clearing he had cast the spell in. He was in an unknown part of the woods, the moon was out in a crescent from and the silver beams of light were shining over the crystalized dewdrops on the flower sprouting from the ground, falling from the orange leaves of the fall trees. He gasped, spinning around to see that no matter where he turned, he recognized nothing, and all he could hear was the chirping of crickets in the distance. 

"Fuck." Frank whispered, bringing his hand to his hair to push it back. That was when he realized something was very wrong.

His hair was different - it felt different, longer and stringier than it usually was, and when he pinched a strand between his fingers to assess it, he noticed the color was pitch black. And his hand - his skin was pale as a pearl, delicate skin stretched over delicate fingers just thick enough to pass as a man's hand. He dropped his hand and looked over himself. These were not Frank's clothes, this was not Frank's body-

This was Gerard's body.

When he looked up again, he nearly cried out in fright as his eyes landed on a figure standing by the tree nearest to him. More so leaning against it, his head titled back in a relaxed sort of way, his hands shoved into his pockets in such a casual manner that he looked odd in such a woodland setting. His eyes were large and hazel, but under the moonlight, they glowed like two amber jewels that glinted as they leered at Gerard. His dark brown hair was medium length, curling softly at the ends, brushing over his olive toned skin. When their eyes met, the boy's pink lips shifted into a gentle smile, making Frank's - no, Gerard's - heart began to thump heavily in his chest. 

Frank soon realized he was staring at himself through Gerard's eyes. Frank had never seen himself as very attractive, no where close to beautiful, but through the eyes of someone else, he was amazed to see himself looking so attractive pressed up against the tree. Gerard's heart was soaring, sparks of energy were flying in the air, and Gerard was being overtaken with a strong need to take Frank for himself, hold him close until their bodies were aligned so perfectly, and - 

Fuck.

He wanted all of him.

Frank was uncomfortable, after all he was trapped in the body of someone who was lusting over his own self, but he controlled nothing that happened next. He panicked as Gerard's legs moved on their own accord, striding forward quickly and reaching out until he grabbed Frank by his upper arms, pressing his back against the bark behind him so solidly that he could hear him losing his breath. Through the eyes of Gerard, Frank watched as his own eyes widened, fear and need crossing over the glistening irises, but his breath was coming out quick and his fingers were digging into Gerard's hips. He could hear the static in the air, the snapping and crackling, and when he glanced up, tiny flashes of sparks flew around in the air surrounding them.

And they were kissing. Lips were pressed together too hard, teeth clicked together, tongues sought purchase in each other's mouths. Their moans were soft, hot breath mingling together, warm hands sliding over skin and Gerard was grabbing Frank's thighs in a frenzy. Frank moaned into Gerard's mouth, jumping up so his legs were wrapped tightly around Gerard's waist and his ankles crossed together. Gerard was hungry for Frank, obsessed with the taste of him, and Frank was stuck inside his mind and his body, in shock at the events taking place, because he was fucking kissing and grinding against his own self - but he wasn't him, he was Gerard, and Gerard thought he was beautiful.

Gerard parted from Frank's slick lips, panting heavily. Frank titled his head back and Gerard went for the soft flesh of his neck - kissing, sucking, biting down in ways that had Frank bucking against him and carding his fingers through his hair roughly. Everything felt so hot, their little bubble wasn't allowing fresh air to seep in and Frank was moaning over and over again, breathy noises that had Gerard pressing harder against him, pressing their skin together, electricity burning in his veins to the point where he was close to burning on the inside. His hands were going numb, his fingers digging into the meaty flesh of Frank's thighs, and his conscious brain was slowly disconnecting in his haze of lust.

But Frank was still conscious, still aware of what was happening, and dread filled his body when the familiar feeling of magic was bubbling under Gerard's hands. And he couldn't stop him, he had no control because he was only in Gerard's head, this was a dream from the past, and there was nothing he could do to change it. He could feel Gerard slowly hazing, sucking marks onto Frank's neck, mistaking his cries of pain as ones of pleasure, until Frank's body began to convulse, limbs twisting unnaturally and the horrible sound of snapping bone broke Gerard's trance. He broke away instantly, gasping loudly as Frank crumbled to the ground in a lifeless heap, his neck broken and his skin turning a deathly pale shade. Blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth and Gerard stared in horror, his hands tingling violently. When he looked down, they were covered in blood, even if there were no wounds on Frank's body.

Gerard had killed Frank, he had been so entranced by the lust coursing through his body that he didn't notice the way he had been wired up was taking a dangerous turn. He was a murderer, Frank's blood was on his hands and yet he could still taste him on his lips - fuck, his mouth was still warm from kissing him. Gerard was backing away in horror, chanting the word of denial over and over again, and Frank's lifeless eyes watched him the entire time. Frank's chest hurt, feeling everything Gerard felt in that moment and watching his own self dead on the floor.

And it was over. Frank was snapped back into reality, into his original body, and his eyes were shooting open all over again. He gasped loudly, vaguely hearing Gerard do the same, and their hands were no longer touching. The veil of magic dropped and cold air rapidly washed over Frank's face like fresh water, bringing him back to his senses. He looked around, taking in the familiar clearing and the sunlight beaming in the sky, nothing like the setting he had been trapped in just a second ago. He looked down at his hands, which were thankfully his own and they were not covered in his blood. He sighed in relief, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Fuck." Gerard breathed across from Frank.

Frank looked up at Gerard, taking in his large eyes and flushed cheeks, pupils wide and black in his irises. His hand was pressed against his chest, trying to calm his heartbeat. When their eyes connected, Frank couldn't stop the blush that spread across his entire face, know having known what Gerard had dreamt about. He was only a bit relieved that he wasn't the only one having odd sexual dreams here, but that was the point that made him squirm - they both had dreams about kissing each other. 

"Gerard, you . . ." Frank didn't know what to say, or if he should say anything at all, not after what he had seen. It was such an intimate, private dream, and it was so fucking weird that he could still feel the heavy press of his own lips against his. 

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Gerard laughed breathlessly, but oddly enough, he was avoiding eye contact. "I'm guessing you did see one of my nightmares after all."

"Well, yes, but . . ." Frank exhaled shakily, pressing his hand against his hot forehead. "You killed me."

Gerard tensed immediately. His head snapped up, eyes widening and his cheeks filling with the color of a ripe strawberry during the summer. "Frank, I swear to god, if that's the dream that you saw then - it was only a dream, I don't know why that happened, I . . . I hoped that wouldn't be the one you saw."

"What did you see?" Frank asked immediately, fingers digging into the grass beside him. He was trying to chase away the feeling of horror, of lust and attraction, but it was stirring in his stomach heavily.

"I saw . . ." Gerard audibly swallowed. "I saw another clearing. And the moon, and the stars, and I saw . . . me. Then it was you and me, us, and it felt . . . it felt so god damn good, but, fuck I was - I was kissing myself, I was in your body, and-" 

"Oh god, oh fuck, you saw that one." Frank dropped his head into his hands, his face flushing red and hot from embarrassment. He didn't quite need to be so ashamed of having a borderline erotic dream of Gerard when he also had a similar one, but the difference between their dreams was that one could be classified as a nightmare, the rest of it could easily be overruled because Gerard wound killing Frank in the end. In Frank's dream, there was nothing but heavy kissing, soft gasps, magic connecting and burning their flesh into each other. Gerard had seen it all, lived through it. 

"It was so similar to how I felt in mine. Only, everything was perfect in yours. Like . . . gravity wanted us to be together." Gerard whispered. His words held no amount of disgust or shame, only wistful thinking, maybe pain underneath the many soft layers coating it. 

Frank slowly lifted his head from his hands. He looked at Gerard through his tangled eyelashes, his cheeks still pink with a violent blush. Gerard was staring at him. His eyes were moving all over his form, his lips slightly open and glistening from where he had just swept his tongue over them. Frank's tongue felt heavy in his mouth, his eyes lingering on Gerard's lips for far too long that it felt inappropriate while they were still reeling from their intense dreams about one another. 

"I'm sorry." Frank whispered, his voice cracking due to his suddenly dry throat. 

"We can't help our dreams, Frank." Gerard slowly shook his head, the corner of his mouth moving up into a smile that lacked any humor or happiness. "If I could have stopped myself from killing you in that dream, I would have."

Frank forced himself to bite down onto his tongue to keep his instinctual question from falling out of his mouth. 'Would you have stopped yourself from kissing me?' Even . . .even the dream version of Frank wouldn't have wanted Gerard to stop from doing that, deep down there was an ache, a knot forming in his chest that was the longing for Gerard's lips that he swallowed down more often than he cared to share. In reality, it was all the same and he became painfully aware of it at the worst moments. He couldn't shove away the heaviness of attraction, the gut feeling of wanting to touch Gerard, kiss him while they were concealed from everyone else in his basement bedroom. 

Frank became heavily aware of the fact that Gerard was scooting towards him. He was crawling over to Frank, their eyes connecting the closer he got, closer and closer until Gerard was in front of Frank and their faces were at level, so close that Frank could feel Gerard's soft breath hitting his face with each shaky exhale. The hair on his body was standing upright, body humming like an engine that had been revved up. His lashes fluttered, lips opening on their own account. 

"Do you really want to kiss me, Frank?" Gerard whispered, voice like melted butter falling over Frank's skin. "What you felt in that dream, it felt so fucking real."

Frank swallowed thickly and his saliva was sliding down his throat too slowly, forcing him to wait until it was coated enough for him to speak. "I had that dream the night I met you, when I first felt what happens when we touch. I didn't know you, when I woke up I felt so strange, but . . . it's different now."

"Different?" Gerard's eyebrows twitched. His eyes fell onto Frank's parted lips, now being wet with his tongue. 

"Yeah," Frank breathed. His heart was beating so quick, he felt it in his throat. "I get overwhelmed with how good it feels when we so much as brush against each other, that charge I get. Sometimes I want to . . . to kiss you, or just . . . kiss your cheek, or your hands." Frank was spilling everything out and it was a tangle of confessions now, but he could barely control himself when Gerard was looking at him like he was the only man left in the world. His breath caught and he suddenly couldn't speak anymore.

Gerard brought his hand to Frank's face - slow movements, his fingers brushed over his jaw and the shock fizzled under Frank's flesh, burning so well. His fingertips glided over his cheek, thumb stroking the fragile bone underneath the skin, trailing down until his entire hand was cupping his cheek and his other hand did the same to the other. Cradling his face so delicately. "I can kill you if I lose myself in you. Fuck, it would be so easy to lose myself in you."

Frank's eyelids fluttered and he forced himself not to lean into Gerard's touch to soak in the bolts of warmth jetting under his flesh and straight to the bone. "You had a weak sense of control in your dream, it was so much more intense, and . . . we aren't our powers, Gerard. You aren't death. I'll be here to guide you if I feel even the slightest bit of pain."

Gerard winced softly at some thought crossing his mind, but Frank reached up and brushed his hair away from his face, touching the soft skin laying over his jawline, moving it further down until he was cupping his neck. It had been so long since Frank had kissed someone, since he wanted to kiss someone, and it was like he couldn't get enough air into his lungs until their lips were touching. Gerard was afraid, that much was clear, but Frank was here to help it go away. He leaned in, his eyes falling shut, and he came so close that they were breathing into each other, noses brushing together.

Gerard closed the tiny gap left between them and hungrily pressed his lips to Frank's open pair.

Frank swore the world around them set on fire.


	6. Spell of the Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The power of sex can achieve what we thought was impossible.

The shock of their lips pressing together was audible - like when you had too much friction in your body and your fingers brushed against an electrical circuit. They both gasped, stealing each other's breath, and pulled away a centimeter to digest the wild tingling now traveling through the thin layer of skin on their lips. And yet, all the same, it brought the most pleasant chills to Frank's body, leaving him wanting so much more than an innocent brush of their lips. He made a soft noise, barely feeling it rise in the back of his throat, and leaned in for more as the craving overtook him. Gerard exhaled through his nose and the puff of air was hot, his lips pressing deeply against Frank's like their mouths couldn't get close enough. Gerard's lips were soft, slick, and Frank could feel the tiny grooves in them as they slid over Frank's parting slightly to build a rhythm. Frank opened his lips in return, his entire face filling with heat and a satisfying numbness he never wanted to end. His hands curled into Gerard's stringy dark hair without a hint of hesitation in their movement. The locks were moving through his fingers - unclean, but this was Gerard and it would feel wrong if there were silky locks of feathery hair moving through the cracks of his fingers instead of this. Frank moaned softly, leaning further into Gerard and his lips glided over Gerard's with an unexpected grace. Gerard's hands were sliding down Frank's chest, heating up on their way and soaking through his shirt, sliding over his waist before they settled on his hips and yanked him closer. 

Frank's lips parted in surprise, a gasp leaving his mouth the second their bodies were pressed together, and Gerard took advantage of his open lips to slowly slide his tongue in his mouth. The feeling of it was odd - too slick, hot and foreign as it tasted the inside of Frank's mouth. But the buzzing in his lips, now entering his mouth, and the heat wrapping around his insides, it had his body breaking into a frenzy of pure need. He slid his tongue over Gerard's limbs moving on their own accord until he was straddling Gerard's lap. His fingers tugged Gerard's hair until the latter was moaning and tilting his head back. Frank pressed them together, the pressure against his lips gradually swelling them. They were in a state of heat, not keeping count of the minutes or hours that passed, only touching and kissing until they were panting and trying to keep themselves upright. Gerard's hot palms laid flat on the small of Frank's back, holding him close, and Frank's thighs were loose around Gerard's waist. His head was spinning and, fuck, he has never tasted anything like Gerard before. He moved his head to the side, pressing multiple kisses to his lips when their tongues pulled away, then his teeth gently scraped over Gerard's bottom lip before biting down on it gently.

And that was when a horrible pain entered Frank's body. It was unexpected, but as soon as he registered it, he immediately yanked away from Gerard to cry out softly from the hurt radiating in his bones. It bounced through ever bit of his body, sinking into his bone marrow, and this was the sort of pain that felt like everything inside him was going to snap and rip in half all at the same time. He sobbed loudly after he released a loud cry of pain, fingernails biting into the cold ground below him. Nothing had ever been as painful as this, nothing ever could and he was certain of it.

It stopped.

Gerard had pushed Frank off of him in a panic, gulping a large breath of air into his lungs. Frank was still reeling from the shock of the pain, even as he was spread out on the floor as Gerard crawled away from him. Although there was no longer the bone shattering agony playing through his entire being, there was hollow ringing in his ears, some spots flashing across his vision each time he blinked. He slowly began to realize that Gerard had been right in worrying about hurting Frank, in losing himself too far into the kiss because of what his hands and mind were capable of. if Frank hadn't vocalized his pain, he would have been dead in Gerard's arms by now.

"Gerard-" Frank sat up quickly with a sharp gasp.

Gerard was sitting with his knees drawn to his chest, face ghostly pale and tears streaming down his paper white cheeks. His eyes were large, glassy, and his hands trembled as he lifted them in front of his face to stare at them in horror.

"I-I almost killed you," Gerard breathed. "I could have killed you, oh my god."

"I . . ." Frank was at a loss for words, He couldn't lie and tell Gerard it was alright, because it wasn't, and if he did say so, then Gerard would bitterly turn his back and stay away from him. Frank didn't think he would be able to stand it if Gerard put distance between them. 

"It wasn't on purpose." Frank whispered weakly.

"That doesn't make it okay!" Gerard snapped suddenly, causing Frank to jump. "I was killing you, it would have been a matter of seconds until your bones fucking snapped, and . . ." Gerard sobbed softly, hanging his head in his hands. "I hurt you."

Frank crawled across the space Gerard had put between them in a desperate attempt to reach him. The tugging in his gut was telling him that he couldn't sit there and let Gerard suffer, watching him weep into his hands was the same as watching an angel shed tears, something so beautiful shouldn't deserve to feel anything close to sadness. 

"I know it's hard for you to control. No one can blame you for that." Frank whispered, slowly wrapping his hands around Gerard's wrists. The latter flinched from the unexpected contact, but melted underneath the gentleness Frank was showing towards him. Frank managed to bring Gerard's hands and arms away from his face, but he was still not willing to make any sort of eye contact.

"I can blame me for that." Gerard whispered, his voice cracking at the beginning of his sentence filled with such venom for himself that it made Frank wince. He bit his lip, feeling the ghost of Gerard's kiss swelling the tender flesh. He carefully raised his hands, turning his palms toward Gerard until they were delicately cupping his jaw, fingers pressing against his soft skin and raising his face so they were eye to eye. Gerard's lashes glistened with tears, his eyes were rimmed red, and they swam with sadness as ripples would travel across water. 

"What matters is that you were able to stop yourself." 

Gerard bit his lip, a strand of his hair falling onto his forehead. "What if I hadn't?"

"Don't think about what if's. They only make things worse." Frank hesitated, eyes flickering to Gerard's lips for a moment. He brushed aside his paused and leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss atop of his lips. Their lips barely had enough pressure to call it anything but a butterfly kiss, Gerard was fragile and anything harder could break him.

He pulled away, eyelids fluttering in content, and watched as Gerard slowly melted under his hands and the kiss he gave him. Pain still lingered in his eyes, but Frank didn't think he was capable of taking that away, Even if he kissed him again, there were only so many things raging in the elder's head that he could soothe. 

"It's just this power, Frank. I feel like one day I'll lose full control and I'll kill everyone that I ever loved just by touching them, or even looking at them." Gerard whispered, his hand coming up to stroke the small waves of hair at the nape of Frank's neck. 

"That won't happen, not as long as you stay strong." Frank nodded once. "You've handled it all your life."

"I know." Gerard sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, biting down on it. When he released it, it was glistening red with a tiny bit of blood rising to the surface where he had bitten too hard. "If only there were a way to purify it, or take it away." 

Frank frowned, wrapping his arms around Gerard's neck and pulling him against his chest slowly. Gerard understood what he was attempting to do and leaned in eagerly, wrapping his arms around Frank's small waist and resting his face in the crook of his neck. He was so warm, and their contact was similar to the static artificial heat provided by an electric blanket. Gerard pressed his cheek against Frank's skin, lips ghosting there and causing the latter to shudder softly from the tingles sinking below his flesh. He glanced at the ground, the imprint their bodies had left on the thick grass blanketing the earth. He caught sight of the book laying abandoned and off to the side - and that was when something popped into his mind.

"Gerard," Frank asked, pulled away a bit and looking him in the eye. "You said you've tried spells to purify your power, right?"

Gerard nodded, his hands resting on Frank's waist. "Yes, why?"

Frank flickered his gaze to the spell book on the ground. "Have you looked for anything in that one?"

Gerard's eyes suddenly lit up and their focus switched to the very book Frank was speaking about, his lips parting softly. "No, I always figured it was a dud . . ." Gerard looked up quickly, fingers curling around Frank's shirt. "Do you think it may have something that will work?"

"We have to look. I'll help you, I'll even look through any other spell books you have or could find, we can do this together." Frank slid his hands into Gerard's hair when he noticed he was drawing him closer, pressing their chests together to the point where he could feel the way his heart was soaring through the layers of their clothing. 

"You're a blessing, baby." Gerard breathed, pressing his nose against Frank's and softly nuzzling it. 

Frank smiled and didn't reply. Instead, he pulled him in and kissed him until they were giggling too much to continue.

__

It only took two days of translating and reading until Frank and Gerard were able to find anything. Frank had even gone as far as to switch search engines on the internet and go into the darker side of it, searching for witchcraft spells that involved powerful magic. The test trials were always failures, however, meaning that the spells were only for the entertainment of people who liked to believe they were true witches. Frank began to grow frustrated when every single website gave out false potions and spells, but then again, he didn't think many people out there possessed the sort of powers he and Gerard did, and witchcraft had truly become nothing but child's play and television Halloween specials for companies to make their dollars with. Gerard told him to give up on the internet if nothing useful was coming forth, a suggestion Frank took, and the next day, he traveled to two libraries and bookstores to gather every book he could find containing spells, or anything about witchcraft. 

Those two days were spent in the darkness of Gerard's room, the window open to allow Claudia to come and go as she pleased. Frank still needed to attend school, sadly for him, but Gerard would continue his research while he waited for the latter to come back when the day was over. Frank would find him hunched over the Latin spell book, his lips moving subtly as he read each word to himself, his hair still a mess from never brushing it since the moment he had awaken. Frank comfortably flopped down on Gerard's bed, leaning in and pressing his lips to his cheek until Gerard turned his face to the side and kissed him right on the mouth. Kissing became a part of their routine along with reading and practicing magic. Their breaks would result in them reaching for each other and locking their lips together, fingers sliding over each other's skin and clothing. It felt so normal, a routine they slipped into perhaps a little too easily. But Frank didn't have the heart to stop himself and wonder if they should slow it down, he was falling harder and faster than he had ever fallen for anyone in his entire life. It may have been the magic speaking for them, but he didn't ever want this spell to be broken. 

It had been nearing nighttime when they found the spell that would fix everything they sought answers for. Dinner was over and the boys had made their way into Gerard's room again to resume their research, Claudia was sleeping in the corner of the room while perched on top of a stack of filled up sketch books Gerard kept there for safekeeping. Frank was sprawled out on the floor in order to focus on a spell he was testing from one off the books he had opened, just to see if the magic was authentic and reading it would be worth his while. His eyes were on the ceiling, lips shaping around the whisper of the spell he was casting, his palms flat on the ground beside him. He was overrun with a rush of surging power, the numbness spreading to his very fingertips, and his body felt light as a feather until the ceiling slowly faded away from his vision. He held back a grin while the plain white was dissipating, revealing the dark blue sky outside and the stars beginning to appear alongside the rapidly rising moon. The sun was close to being swallowed by the horizon, swirls of pink and orange lingered amongst the edges of the ethereal universe, and his eyes captured it all despite there being something in the way of it to a normal human's eyes from his angle. The spell had guaranteed see through vision, stating it would melt away layers hiding other sights from him. He smiled through a chuckle of amazement, fingers curling into his palms. 

The spell was suddenly broken, the veil dropping when he felt the electrifying press of familiar lips against his own. Immediately, he lost sight of the universe above him and instead saw the alabaster skin belonging to Gerard, only for a moment before his eyelids fluttered and he was kissing him back. Gerard's lips moved into a soft smile. He pulled away and looked down at Frank, his fingertips brushing against his cheek.

"What was that for?" Frank asked, biting his lip that still tasted sweetly of Gerard. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at Gerard with curiosity. The elder was sitting beside him with his legs tucked underneath him.

"I've been trying to get your attention, but you were so focused on that spell that you couldn't even hear me." Gerard half smiled, tucking a chunk of his black hair behind his ear.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Frank blushed lightly. shutting the spell book and casting it aside. "At least we know this one works. What did you need?"

Gerard bit his lip, lashes fluttering in thought. He slid closer, to the point where his knees were pressing into Frank's side and his hand was reaching out, coming to rest on the side of his neck. Frank's blush grew stronger under his cheeks upon the contact, his spit getting stuck in his throat as he looked up and noticed how Gerard's pretty face was only inches away from his own.

"I found a spell that will work." Gerard whispered and his breath was warm in the small bubble surrounding them both. "It isn't exactly what I thought it would be, and it requires the power of two witches."

Frank felt inevitable joy make his heart flutter in his chest, his lips were curling into a delighted smile and he twisted his body so it was facing Gerard much more directly. "I'd love to help you. What does the spell say or require? We should get to it as soon as possible."

Gerard's teeth dug into his bottom lip suddenly, eyes looking up at him through his lashes in a manner that had Frank's insides twisting into various knots. It was often that this happened, Gerard was much more attractive than he knew and it left Frank stuttering and stumbling over his words on multiple occasions. Gerard let go of his lip, instead slowly swiping the tip of his tongue over his pink lips while still keeping steady eye contact with Frank.

Fuck.

"That's the thing, Frank, it's something so fucking conflicting. It isn't right. But I want it," Gerard paused, taking in a shaky breath and licking his parted lips once more. "So fucking bad."

"Anything." Frank spoke without thinking, but deep down he knew he would reach out for the impossible if it meant giving Gerard what he wanted. His eyes flickered down to Gerard's slicked lips, his heart giving odd kicks in his chest along with the turmoil beginning in his stomach. 

"Anything, baby?" Gerard breathed, his voice dropping down a notch. When he opened his eyes, Frank noticed the way they had darkened - predatory, hungry, yet soft all the same. His heart dropped into his gut, the air was becoming thinner. He gulped, licking his dry lips and nodding eagerly.

Gerard moved his hand from Frank's neck, sliding it down to the top of his chest, moving to the side until it was resting directly over his erratically beating heart. He was coming closer, his face so close to Frank's that every bit of oxygen he had left in his lung was chased away. Gerard pressed his lips against Frank's ear and his breath was a huff of hot air that had Frank biting his lip to keep himself from gasping.

"I need you inside me," Gerard whimpered softly, his hand sliding further down his chest until it resting dangerously against his stomach. "I need you to cleanse me on the inside, need your power running through me in every single way. It's the only way the purification can be completed, something good has to touch me. And then I'll be free." His voice, smooth as velvet, brushed over Frank's skin and inched its way inside until it was melting in his bones, his lower body stirring in heat from the seductiveness his words carried forward. He moaned softly, eyes fluttering at the slide of Gerard's lips moving slowly across his jaw.

"I need to fuck you." Frank managed to choke out once what the latter was saying clicked despite his throat running dry at the thought of touching Gerard, seeing his naked pale skin and feeling to heat of it pressed against him while he let him wrap his full thighs around his waist, while he just -

"Please?" Gerard panted softly, fingers digging into Frank's shirt like it was the only thing to keep him from falling over. "Not even just for the spell, Frankie, I want to feel you inside me, opening me up-"

Frank broke him off with a groan, his dick twitching in his jeans at the multiple mental images flitting through his mind. He turned his head, capturing Gerard's lips into a quick yet passionate kiss that had Gerard whimpering brokenly and tugging at his shirt. He pulled away, panting softly through wet parted lips.

"Show me the spell, then I'll fuck you right on this floor if I have to."

__

Gerard had drawn a pentacle on the ground with white chalk, writing all of the elements of magic outside the circle in Latin inscription Frank still couldn't understand. Candles were lit with their flickering flames and surrounded the pentacle, the energy fire provided was the strongest in this spell and the orange glow casting over the otherwise dark room was a eerie and erotic sight. Gerard had the spell memorized, reciting it to Frank a few times to get the pronunciation correct in order for it to work to its best ability. The words weren't as lovely falling from Frank's tongue, but the touch of it felt like a sin running across his lips.

It had all started with their lips pressing together, hesitance mixing together with fire burning in their chests. The hair on their arms was standing upright from the intensity of that charge enveloping their bodies, a different type of heaviness veiling over them and pressing them together. They kissed each other until their fingers were scraping over their clothing, backing into the pentacle before they sank down on the ground and Gerard's thighs were wrapped around Frank.

They sat in the center of the pentacle, their shirts discarded somewhere to the side so their flesh was on display and vulnerable to the candlelight and the strange energy rising from the drawn star and circle. Gerard rested in Frank's lap, skin pale and smooth as the blank canvases stacked against the wall nearby, his thighs secured around Frank's hips while he held him close and touched what he could reach. Their lips had been connected ages ago, pressing together over and over again even now until both pairs were slick and flushed the color of a fresh berry in the summertime. Frank could kiss Gerard until eternity if he had the choice, his taste and the feel of his lips were intoxicating. Frank let his tongue slide slowly into Gerard's mouth, moving in and out slickly while they kissed and rocked together. 

Gerard moaned softly, his hands running up Frank's back with a hot, electric touch that made Frank shudder, his own hands holding onto Gerard's bare hips and pressing them closer together. Everything was touching, pressing against each other, and the static made the air close to being unbreathable. Frank pressed his palm against the base of Gerard's spine, pulling away from the kiss with a slick pop to move to his neck. Gerard gasped at the touch of his wet lips to his sensitive skin and in addiction, Frank slide his hand down to Gerard's ass and gently squeezed just to feel him through his jeans. The latter grabbed onto Frank's hair, head lulling to the side. Frank's tongue swept over Gerard's sweet skin, feeling the salt sting from the sweat building there, kissing over the pretty pale flesh Gerard was baring to him. There was heat unwinding in his gut, a growing urge to tear at the rest of this boy's clothes and taste all of him, kiss his way around his body like it was a map made to help him find his way home. Gerard rocked his hips at the same time Frank's twitched the second his dick throbbed in the material still covering his lower half, eliciting a breathless moan from the both of them.

Frank groaned, shoving at Gerard until he scooted backwards off of his lap and onto the floor. He was crawling further back while Frank lunged for him like an animal going for its prey, his legs spread wide open and his flushed lips parted to release needy little puffs of air. Frank pinned him to the ground, claiming his mouth once again and thrusting his hips against Gerard's. The latter released a cry of pleasure into his mouth, his legs instinctively coming up to wrap around his waist and slide him further up his body. Frank kissed him hard in the midst of his passion and his hand slowly ran down his soft torso, the gently curve of his hip, the wide top of his thigh until it was sliding in between them and cupping the bulge he felt pressing against him. Gerard whimpered, pushing into Frank's hand, and the sound alone had Frank rubbing against him harder just to hear more of those noises come out of him. Gerard was writhing, his hands tangling into Frank's hair the second the latters fingers brushed against the button of his jeans. He pulled away from their kiss, a small string of saliva keeping them somewhat connected, fingers quickly undoing the button and the zipper of Gerard's jeans.

"Have you ever done this before?" Frank asked breathlessly, peeling down the pants only a fraction of the way.

"No," Gerard shook his head. "Have you?"

"No." Frank felt a bit awkward now that none of them had any experience, even though fucking was a human instinct, especially in men. He knew his way around, but he never quite expected to lose his virginity to another virgin, who also happened to be his best friend's brother, on the floor of a basement bedroom during a cleansing ritual. He bit his lip and decided not to think too much into it, instead softly asking for Gerard to lift his hips. Frank peeled the jeans off of Gerard's legs along with his dark underwear, revealing every inch of skin. His thighs were pale and soft, curving gently to his shapely calves and his knobby knees. His cock, fuck he was bigger than Frank had expected, hard and ready for him, precome glistening at the bright pink tip. Frank licked his lips, his stomach turning with a coil of heat. He leaned down and kissed up Gerard's thighs, hands moving over his naked skin that felt almost too hot to the touch, lips rising up to his fleshy hips until his teeth were softly biting down and his tongue was running over the silken skin. Gerard's hips twitched, his mouth falling open to release tiny moans of pleasure. Frank rested his forehead against Gerard's soft stomach, quickly undoing his jeans and sliding them down his legs until they were at his ankles and he was able to kick them off. Then, he turned his head so his cheek brushed against Gerard's pale hip, eyes running over his swollen cock, and he was leaning in until his tongue was pressing flat against the side of it.

The flames on the candles surrounding them flickered wildly, standing tall to an alarming point, but Frank was entirely invested in the breathy moans coming from Gerard's lips and the fingers pulling his hair, his lips wrapping around the tip of Gerard's dick. Bitter precome floode across his tongue, a faint bite of salt dancing over his tastebuds the more he sucked. He had never tasted anything like this before, nor had he ever wanted to have someone's cock in his mouth so bad, but Gerard felt heavy and full on his tongue, the veins running through the thin pink skin thrumming as he ran his fingers over them. Gerard cried out softly, his hips bucking, fingernails scarping across the floor.

"Fuck, Frank, now, we need to do the spell now." Gerard gasped, trying not to push further into his mouth. Frank pulled away with a pop, lips slick, and he looked up at Gerard. His eyes were glazed over, pupils nearly taking over his irises, and he looked so hungry for what was yet to come. 

"Come here, baby." Frank whispered and moved his body again until it was hovering over Gerard's. Gerard locked his eyes with Frank's, tongue sweeping over his parted lips, and his soft thighs locked around his hips again. Frank kissed him again, tongue sliding into his mouth straight away, his hand gripping the side of Gerard's thigh and hooking his entire leg around his waist. Their bare cocks bumped together, rubbing slowly in a way that had the air crackling with static and their shared heavy breaths stuttering and converting into moans. Every noise and action came as a pleasant surprise to Frank, one he came to adore, as did everything else Gerard did. He could feel his heart swelling alongside his cock and his lips, and though his skin felt like it had been set aflame, he never wanted to stop touching Gerard. He kissed his cheeks, his jaw, his neck, the fragile skin marking easily, but the latter never complained. Only silently asked for more.

They used a small bottle of unharmful lotion they had casted to the side for their preparation. Neither of them carried lube since neither expected to be having sex often or soon enough to purchase a bottle, and the spell was spontaneously found this very day. As long as it made everything easier for them, neither one complained about using the lotion. Frank made sure to lather his fingers with a more than generous amount to prevent from hurting Gerard. Gerard's legs were spread as an open invitation, his bottom lip tucked in between his teeth while he watched Frank guide his fingers to the his hole. The tip of the first finger brushed against the rim, spreading a bit of the substance, before slowly dipping inside. 

"Oh- jesus." Gerard breathed, his eyes widening.

"Are you okay?" Frank asked once his finger was all the way inside - fuck, it felt odd, tight and hot around his finger and clenching around him. 

"Yes, I've just never had anything inside me before, not even fingers." Gerard sighed softly, shutting his eyes. "Keep going, please."

Frank did as he was told, biting into his lip the rest of the way while his other two fingers eventually slipped inside after a moment of slowly moving in and out. Gerard was stretching around him, hot and sucking him right in, making Frank's lower stomach stir as he imagined how his cock would feel buried deep inside of his tight hole, moving in and out at a much faster pace than his fingers. Gerard was panting, his face flushed and hair sticking to his face, and the second he arched his back and released a shaky moan, Frank knew it was time.

Gerard watched him move through his wide eyes, chest rising and falling rapidly to match the rhythm of his breath. Frank slicked himself with the lotion, his fist closed over his length and pleasure pricking in every pore while he pumped himself, his head hanging low while he moaned. Gerard whimpered, his legs curling around Frank's form once again. Frank finally let go of himself, pulse racing, and pressed the head of his cock against Gerard's hole. As he began slowly sliding in, he was nearly overwhelmed by the tight heat taking him in, wrapping around him and pressing down as if it never wanted him to leave. Gerard let out a strangled sound, his head dropping back onto the floor as his face scrunched with pain.

"I'm sorry." Frank breathed, squeezing his eyes shut and forcing himself to stop until Gerard was ready for it. He knew it would hurt more than it hurt as a woman lost her virginity, this sort of sex was not the most natural practice, but the way Gerard was sucking him in made it feel like it was the only thing a man was meant to do. Frank bit his lip harshly, a twinge of guilt ringing in his body while listening to the pained whimper Gerard let out. He squirmed slightly, hissing softly, and the pleasure Frank felt was only heightened from the movement.

"It's okay, baby, just go." Gerard licked his open lips, closing his eyes and attempting to relax himself. Frank's hand rested on Gerard's thigh and the tips of his fingers dug into the soft flesh. He inhaled shakily through his mouth, pushing all the way in, hips pressing against Gerard's. The latter's legs were shaking, having a vice hold around Frank's waist, and he was gasping while he adjusted. After a moment of waiting, aching waiting, Gerard moved his lips and softly pleaded for him to move. Frank nodded, graciously pulling out some before sliding back in with much more ease. 

The movement was steady at first, their hot skin sliding together and their gasping breath mixing together. Everything was burning, from the candles beside them to the very inside of Frank's core. Flesh was burning into flesh, pleasure and pain igniting their bones and rocking them together. Gerard was like a vice around Frank, clenching around him with a heat not even his own fist could provide him when he touched himself. His face was nestled into the crook of Gerard's neck, his moans melting into his skin, lips kissing his flesh tenderly each time he slid back inside him. The latter wasn't quite feeling pleasure yet, but he we always lifted his hips to meet his movement, his hands gliding over his body while he breathed heavily close to Frank's ear.

It was only a few moments until Gerard was moaning out loud, broken and beautiful, and his nails dug into Frank's back as his hips twitched in a desperate plea for more. Frank moaned in response, moving faster at the same angle to provide the person was loved with angelic pleasure even as they fucked inside a pentacle. The flames surrounding them were flickering wildly, dancing around the pair. Gerard was letting out loud, breathy moans, nails dragging over Frank's sweaty skin in a way too good to be true. He kissed his way up Gerard's jaw, higher until he captured his lips into a passionate kiss they both moaned and panted into. They moved together to the beat of the same unspoken rhythm, one gradually speeding up until it felt too good to be true.

They were shifting suddenly - Frank slid out of Gerard quickly, sitting back and pulling Gerard up off the ground and onto his lap instead. He secured Gerard's legs around him, hands sliding up his angelic little body and every curve that created it. "Fuck, you're so beautiful, Gerard."

"So are you," Gerard breathed, hovering above Frank's cock while the latter aligned them. Then, all at once, Gerard sank back down onto him until his ass was flushed against Frank's body again and he was crying out his back arching beautifully. Frank instinctively grasped Gerard's fleshy hips, pelvis moving and hitting Gerard's prostate perfectly. The latter whimpered, body swaying in a haze, and Frank wasn't holding back anymore. He thrusted his hips up rapidly, pounding inside him, biting his lip at the sound of their skin slapping together without a break. Gerard bounced himself up and down on his cock, fingers pulling Frank's hair and grasping it. His head dropped onto Frank's shoulder, his noises leaving his lips without an end. Frank was in bliss, pleasure coursing through him, so much better than the wonderful sensation magic brought him. This was raw, an animal instinct, hot and messy all over. Frank lulled his head to the side, holding Gerard still and pounding up into him as fast as his hips allowed him to move. 

"Fuck! Oh, fuck, Frank, that's so fucking good." Gerard squealed, ending in a moan through his lips that he had clamped shut in an attempt to be more quiet. But his body was moving, hands everywhere, lips pressing against any place he could reach. Fran groaned, fingers digging into Gerard's pale ass and spreading him open. Gerard began moving up and down again, his lips pressing against Frank's neck and his tongue greedily lapping at his skin like he couldn't get enough of the taste. Frank bared his throat to Gerard, his mouth hanging open and eyes screwing shut as the most intense wave of heat ran through his whole body as Gerard clenched tightly around him. His pale skin was glowing, he felt and looked so beautiful with Frank buried deep inside him and the flickering shadows of the candlelight moving over his ghostly pale flesh. Frank wrapped his arms around Gerard and pressed them so close that he could feel the thick, pulsing length of Gerard's between them, leaking and spreading the slickness over their skin.

"Et sanguis sanguinem meum, in me anima mea core, ut in hanc lucem si iungi miscerique mihi sordes ultra." Gerard spoke in fluid Latin tongue through his heavy breaths. Frank had no understanding of it, but the soft moans layering the tone had him whimpering deep in his throat. 

The fire was burning, living in their bodies and their souls and the world around them. The flames flickered high and all Frank could feel was everything at once.

"Et sanguis sanguinem meum, in me anima mea core, ut in hanc lucem si iungi miscerique mihi sordes ultra. Et sanguis sanguinem meum, in me anima mea core, ut in hanc lucem si iungi miscerique mihi sordes ultra. Et sanguis sanguinem meum, in me anima mea core, ut in hanc lucem si iungi miscerique mihi sordes ultra . . ." He was chanting over and over again. The sound fading into nothing but the strange ringing flooding Frank's ears. Electricity was plummeting deep within his stomach, threatening to rip through his skin, and no matter how violent it sound through the blood rushing in his ears, he felt no pain. He felt nothing but euphoria, heightening all of his senses, and the heat surrounding his rapidly swelling cock. 

Gerard was holding onto him tightly, his chanting now becoming a garbled mantra as he could barely contain everything he was feeling. Their bodies vibrated together, glowing and building up higher and higher until, suddenly, they were toppling down together. Brick by brick, atom by atom, they were shining from the inside out with an ethereal power of both the darkness and the light, absorbing into their pores and spilling all over the room in a painful bright light. They were both coming, the power of their orgasms fueling the fire around them until it had burnt out completely. Smoke was rising in soft tendrils, flesh was flushed and coated with sweat and the sweet remains of a power not one had ever felt before, and their eyes were blind before they collapsed in each others arms. 

A dark and peaceful sleep for the twisted ways of the spell only one truly knew front and back.


	7. Betrayal of the Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love can blind anyone vulnerable enough to fall into it.

When Frank finally managed to pry his eyes open, the first thing he noticed was his dry, blurry eyes. He blinked the fog away multiple times, even curling his hands into fists and rubbing over them to clear his vision. The moment it was back to normal and only slightly spotty from how hard he had rubbed his eyes, he took in a deep breath through his nose and swept his tongue over his lips. He moved his head, realizing the softness his cheek was rubbing against was the soft cotton of a pillow sham. It smelled different than his own at home, holding the scent of dried ink, sweet skin, coffee, and old paper. The smell of someone so familiar, making his lips curl up lazily. He moved his arm to stretch it out, noticing how sore his entire body felt, and he looked down at his body covered in dark sheets. His chest was bare, and as he moved his legs and turned over, the rest of him seemed to be bare as well except for the soft cotton of boxers resting at his hips. As he turned over and nuzzled his cheek against the pillow once more, he was pleasantly surprised by the sight of Gerard also nestled into the sheets, a pencil in hand as he glided the led tip over a page in his sketch book. His hair was tucked away behind his ear to prevent it from falling into his face, small pink lips puckered slightly and his eyes squinted in concentration. Frank's eyes drifted to his neck. The usually clear, pale canvas of his skin was marked with small red spots, purple blending into the angry blemishes, and they were hidden once more by his hair when he turned his head to retrieve his eraser. 

Frank remembered suddenly the events that had just taken place only - well, he couldn't tell how long ago it had been, but he knew it was morning now because there was tiny slivers of sunlight escaping through the cracks in the blinds over the window in the room. He remembered the pentacle, the candlelight, fucking Gerard until their skin was glowing and the ritual was taking place. He couldn't remember what happened before he came, not even the words of the spell Gerard had casted, all he could remember was being so overstimulated alongside his magic being drained into the spell. The rippling of sensations had been too much and he blacked out at some point, he vaguely recalled Gerard going limp in his arms only seconds before he lost all consciousness. Frank's eyes widened and he sat upright in the bed.

"What happened?" He asked upon instinct, his half awake brain not even alerting him that blurting out that question was out of the blue.

"Thank god, you're awake." Gerard breathed out in relief. He put aside all of his supplies and sat up, scooting closer until his hands reached out and gingerly cupped Frank's face in them. "I was scared you fell into a coma or something, it would have been a matter of time until I came up with some sort of story to get you to the hospital." 

Frank felt calmer under Gerard's touch and the tenderness of his concern that swam so sweetly in his eyes. He placed his hands over Gerard's, rubbing circles over the soft skin with his thumbs. "How long was I asleep?"

Gerard bit his lip, a small crease forming between his thick eyebrows. "Since midnight. It's six in the afternoon now."

Shock implanted itself into Frank's chest first, spreading under his flesh with a tingling sensation. His eyes widened, lips parting. "What? Holy shit, my mom is probably freaking the fuck out right about now-"

"Mikey told your mother you got a stomach bug overnight and we're taking care of you. She expects you to come back tomorrow morning." Gerard gently rubbed his thumb over Frank's bottom lip, his head tilting to the side a fraction. "I made that up and that's what I told him and my mom. They think you're sleeping it off."

Frank sighed in relief and managed to relax his rigid form. His body truly did ache, but it was a different kind of ache that ran bone deep. Something was odd about it and he blamed it on the intensity of the spell they had performed last night. 

"Did the spell work?" Frank looked up at Gerard through his lashes.

Gerard's eyes flickered with a certain look, but it was quickly blinked away before Frank had a chance to decipher it. His hands slipped away from Frank's face and fell into the space between them. "I'm not sure. I haven't tested it yet. But I - I feel different. Before, it felt like I always had this dark cloud hanging over my head, my hands didn't feel like my hands, but it just faded away. I feel light." He licked his lips, running his fingers over the inside of his pale wrist.

"We need to test it soon, maybe try it out on Claudia. I know she'll let you." Frank smiled slightly. reaching out and taking Gerard's hand into his. The latter's cheeks blossomed with pink, his lips lifting slowly into a smile of his own. Frank bit his lip, hesitating before he asked the next question. "How do you feel? What we did . . . that was intense." He laughed breathlessly, his face flushing red.

"Sore." Gerard grinned sheepishly, fingers twining with Frank's. "But it's a good kind of soreness. I . . . I really loved what we did. It wasn't only for the spell for me, and it was special because it was our first time."

Frank's heart was beating at double the pace it had been at only seconds ago. Something was lifting it, a higher emotion he had felt the wonderful engulfment of plenty of times after he and Gerard had kissed in the woods. As he unlocked his fingers with Gerard's to skin his fingers along the angelic soft skin covering his wrist and further up, he easily identify what was swelling his heart.

"I love you." Frank admitted, voice as gentle as a feather floating down from the sky. Warmth filled his face in and some part of his dreaded looking up to drink in Gerard's reaction, to learn if he felt the same way or not. His lashes fluttered nervously, fingers pausing over Gerard's skin.

A warm, gentle finger was gliding across his jaw and coming to rest under his chin before it carefully lifted his face up. His eyes casted upwards and met the soft, adoring gaze belonging to a pair of olive green eyes, a beam of sunlight casting over them. Tiny spots of chocolate brown and dark gold swam around in the midst of his irises, his pupils were alive, and the beauty of his eyes under the sun was an ethereal type of beauty. 

"I love you too." Gerard's gentle smile widened, his eyes crinkling at the ends. 

The pair giggled elatedly after their confession. Frank kissed Gerard again, softly pressing his lips onto the gentle, smooth skin he missed tasting. Gerard kissed him back, weaving his fingers into his hair automatically, smiling into the kiss. After a long moment of gentle kisses and pulling apart to run their fingers over each other's faces. Gerard fell back onto the pillows and Frank followed, crawling on top of his clothed body and leaning down to kiss him once more, but the kiss was deeper and held much more meaning then they others they had shared just now. Gerard hummed against his lips, legs coming up to warmly encase Frank's hips, his arms looping around his neck lazily. The roughness of his jeans brushed against Frank's bare skin, but the cotton of his t-shirt was welcoming as it slid over Frank's naked chest and stomach. Gerard's fingers felt so warm and gentle dancing across his scalp while they braided into his hair and pulled him further down until they pressed together entirely. Their lips made small smacking noises the longer their kissed and parted their lips, cheeks rosy and skin flushing whenever they began to run out of breath. Frank's tongue was shyly brushing against Gerard's lips, at other time the tip of the latter's tongue whenever their lips opened during their rhythm. 

When they finally pulled away with a soft sound and darkened lips, Gerard's eyes were only half open. His lashes, long and black as the night, fluttered and shielded his green irises from Frank's own gaze. His lips curled into a slow, close mouthed smile, and he pressed his forehead against Frank's. Frank brushed his hair away from his boyfriend's face softly, panting quietly against his open lips. He vaguely noticed how the world around them was darkening slowly, as if every source of light in the world was dimming, and soon they were shrouded in darkness, His eyebrows creased a bit, but Gerard was smiling, cupping his cheek in his hand.

"Look up." He whispered.

Frank managed to tear his eyes away from Gerard's lovely face and up at the room around them. A gasp bubbled in his throat as he looked at the walls - the walls that had been painted pitch black, everything darkened and otherwise invisible, even the ceiling had been veiled with complete darkness. But in contrast to the darkness was the twinkling of hundreds of tiny stars, sparkling and imbedded into the walls, the ceiling, floating through midair. They were winking softly at him, a plethora of magic surrounding the two of them while they were wrapped up in each other. One of the stars slowly drifting near him was slowly falling, twinkling until the sparkle of light fell upon Gerard's skin and dissipated as quickly as it had come. The scenery felt like they were floating in outer space, the both of them far away from the world despite still living and breathing in it. 

"How did you do that?" Frank breathed, watching in amazement as a star kissed the skin of his arm in a shower of warmth before it broke apart into a dozen particles of glitter. 

"It's a spell I learned one of the days while you were away. I was waiting for a perfect moment to show you." Gerard propped himself up on his elbows. Cupping his hand and holding it out, one of the stars floating in the air steadily came down to rest in his hand, shining as bright as it could before it faded into nothingness. 

"You're amazing." Frank straddled his lap, curling his fingers into his mane of dark hair. 

Gerard smiled crookedly, his hands running up the length of his bare torso. His hands were warm, static, and Frank shivered upon the touch. 

"Ever had sex under the stars, Frankie?" Gerard whispered, tucking his lip under his small teeth. 

The answer to that, at the beginning, was a no. The answer changed after they kissed once again and let the makeshift universe around them cover their panting, sweaty bodies and the soft moans they released. 

__

Frank had been in school when he first noticed something was off. Lunch time, to be exact, where he sat outside with his friends under the shady tree they had claimed at the beginning of the year. They cared little if it was cold, or if the swollen clouds in the sky promised a heavy downpour of rain, their coats kept them safe and nothing could take away the smiles on their faces while they planned things to do during their upcoming Thanksgiving break coming after the weekend. Frank's attention came into play when he heard the soft yowling of a cat nearby the fence. The pained sounds were coming from a small stray cat wandering just by the border of the fence, one that weaseled its way in through a small hole near the ground, but it was limping as it walked. A broken back leg, the poor stray was suffering quietly from its snapped bone. Frank knew he could heal it, he could wait until the bell rang and stay behind for a moment to nurse the animal.

But the strange thing was that the usual urge and pulse of magic in his veins wasn't showing up. Normally, he would feel the need to heal thumping through his whole body, to a nearly unhealthy level that he often panicked over. His whole body rocked and vibrated with it, almost like the terrible itch you felt under your skin but couldn't find no matter how many times your nails scraped over your skin. It was a bit alarming to him, but he supposed he was still spent from the ritual with Gerard. Perhaps he felt numb to it now, the spell took all the power within him, and him passing out was only proof that he outdid himself quite a bit. He came to that conclusion, waiting until the lunch bell rang. 

Once everyone was walking away from the clearing, he slipped away quietly and approaching the whining cat that had decided to sit on the ground and lick away at its twisted leg, the black fur becoming matted from the excessive attempt to make it better. It hissed when he approached it, but he managed to soothe the animal with gentle words and an equally tranquil approach. Squating down beside the cat, he smiled at it gently, to soothe the warning look in its bright green eyes. He reached out hesitantly, slowly placing his and on the nape of its neck It tensed, but as soon as he began to slowly stroke its fur, the cat relaxed with a half lidded gaze, still softly yowling in pain. 

"I'll make it all better, don't worry." He whispered. He looked around to make sure no one was looking before he took sank to his knees beside the animal and took in a deep breath. There was still no sign of the urge he was used to, which was odd, but he shook it off and decided to begin healing the cat straight away. He gently wrapped his fingers around the cat's broken leg, causing it to jerk, but he pet under its chin and shushed it softly until it went limp on its side again, watching him wearily. Shutting his eyes, he filled his lungs with a deep breath as he willed his power to come forth. 

He focused deeply, concentrating on the image of the animal with a perfectly working leg and no limp to its walk. But no matter how hard he concentrated, even as he nailed the image into his head, the magic never flooded into his system - not even a hollow ringing. He was beginning to grow frustrated. Minutes passed, resulting into a half an hour, until he finally came to terms with the horrible truth; Frank's magic wasn't working. In his entire life, he had never encountered a situation where the urge didn't hit him with the force of a wrecking ball collision, the numbness that eventually began to take over. Panic was sprouting in his stomach, his hand carefully letting go of the cat's broken leg. Slowly standing, he inhaled a shaky breath. His eyes were flitting back and forth between both of his hands, the cat that was now slowly hobbling away, and plain fear started to take place of the panic. 

After school was over, he tested his magic thrice more. Two dead plants, one butterfly with a ripped wing. No matter how hard he attempted to conjure his power, even going so far to try a breathing technique, nothing was working and the magic he once felt flowing so naturally through his hands had vanished. He was falling apart inside in a flurry of anxiety, wondering what had gone wrong, his bottom lip swollen and torn from the constant biting. His hands were trembling and it wasn't from the cold. He was pacing in the woods, wondering what the hell could be wrong with him. There was nothing blocking his concentration, his method of healing had not changed, and he was using every ounce of will he had left to push his magic out through his hands and even his eyes. Something must have happened, it was impossible for his magic, his gift, to suddenly become dormant. Even as rain began to pour from the sky in an angry torrent, soaking every inch of his body, he continued to slosh through the muddy ground in the woods with trembling fingers, puzzling over every possibility that could explain the sudden worthlessness of his entire being. 

He cut his own self open. A sharp rock had imbedded itself into his skin, leaving a clean and bloody slice, and he attempted to heal himself. Teeth gnashing, hands shaking, blood trickling slowly from the wound and mixing together with the rainwater, he shut his eyes so tight that he began to see colorful dots dancing inside the black his eyelids casted over his eyes. His whole body became rigid, his mind chanting the words encouraging the stinging pain to be soothed. Nothing was tingling, no force of nature enveloped every particle that created him, everything was a silent as the dead of night. The trickling of blood wasn't enough to fill the empty silence, but alarming enough for him to let out a soft cry the longer he was left to stand by the pain, not an ounce of energy running its usual course. There was only one person that came to mind, one solution he desperately needed in his pursuit to trigger his magic once again. 

He ran through the rain, slipping and stopping himself from falling more than a handful of times. He held onto his bleeding arm to prevent any more blood from falling out of the wound and ended up soaking his hand in blood in the process. He was unaware of how deep he slide the tip of the rock into his skin in his hasty attempt to get his gift to work. Frank panted heavily until he reached the Way household, soaked in water and his jacket was stained with blood. He pounded on the front door, his chest heaving and his eyes brimming with tears.

Mikey was the one who answered the door. Upon the sight of Frank, his eyes widened to an uncanny size and his hands fluttered at his sides with alarm. "Frank, what the fuck happened to you?"

"I need to see Gerard. It's urgent." Frank ignored his question. 

"Dude, at least let me get you some dry clothes. Or a towel if you're in such a hurry." Mikey placed his hands on Frank's shoulders and pulled him inside.

"Mikey, I'm fine. Just please let me talk to your brother, I'll get dry clothes from him or something." Frank shook of Mikey's hands and his eyes darted to the door that led to the staircase in Gerard's room. 

"You're bleeding." Mikey grabbed Frank's arm gently, his eyes flying wide open once again.

"I know, I know, I'll bandage it up - please, Mikes, it's urgent." Frank tugged his arm away, desperation turning him more impatient by the second.

Mikey looked weary, even a bit suspicious, but he let Frank go without another word. Frank practically burst through the door of Gerard's room, slamming it shut and locking it tightly. He stumbled down the stairs from how fast he was attempting to reach the person he needed, and finally, he was reached the floor and caught sight of Gerard sitting upright on the windowsill in an alarmed fashion, Claudia resting on his shoulder.

"Gerard, fuck." Frank breathed in relief, rushing towards the inky haired boy in an instant. Claudia fluttered away just in time before Frank threw himself at Gerard, wrapping his arms around him tightly and squeezing him to his chest.

"Jesus, Frank, you're soaking wet." Gerard sounded concerned, but he wrapped his arms around Frank's waist and hugged him just as tightly.

"I was in the woods, then I ran here. Something's wrong, Gee, something is really wrong with me." Frank was breaking into a hot torrent of tears, his whole body shivering from the contrast of his wet clothes and the warmth coming from Gerard. Even now, as he held the person he loved close, he no longer felt the electricity they shared before. He was only a normal type of warm, the natural heat of human skin that had not been drenched by winter rain. 

"What's wrong?" Gerard gently pushed Frank back and sat him across from himself on the windowsill. His eyes searched all over his body, catching sight of his wound, and his hand flew to his wet skin.

"M-my magic, my magic is go-gone." Frank was beginning to shiver. All of the tenseness, the freezing water, the blood he had stopped shedding finally, was catching up to him rapidly and his teeth chattered behind his pale lips. 

Gerard said nothing. His face only set into a frozen expression of concern, concern aimed to the deep cut torn into his pale skin. He sighed deeply, shrugging out of his jacket and slowly rising to his feet. Frank looked up at him with teary eyes, questioning him silently. Gerard helped Frank to his feet. remaining silent, and lead him towards the bed.

He quietly undressed Frank. His clothes peeled off, heavy and darkened from the water, and revealed his skin that felt cold to the touch with a slight hue of red covering the otherwise pale skin. He felt vulnerable the entire time Gerard stripped him down, but he found comfort in how warm and gentle his hands worked. Gerard helped him step into fresh, dry clothes, which were baggier than his own clothes were due to his frame being thinner and shorter than Gerard's. His teeth stopped chattering after a few moments of sitting down in dry clothing and Gerard gently rubbing his hands between his. He only pulled away one to retrieve a thick bandage to wrap around Frank's forearm, after applying a thin layer of healing cream atop of it so it would prevent infection. 

Frank silently shed tears, staring at his limp hands in between Gerard's. Gerard was slowly massaging the back of his hands, working his way down to the tips of his fingers, then starting all over again. The pads of Gerard's fingers were soft, calming, but Frank couldn't help but think of his own hands as useless and hideous compared to the satiny pale flesh and perfect fingers running over them. He could hear Claudia clicking gently from her usual corner of the room, watching them from afar. 

"I knew something was wrong when I saw a cat with a broken leg and felt nothing at all." Frank began to explain flatly. "The urge to heal it, it never came. I stayed behind anyway to fix its leg, thinking that maybe I was just a little weak from the spell we casted together. But I tried, for so long I tried to get anything working, and nothing did. After school I went out to the woods and tried to bring back dead plants, then a butterfly I found with a damaged wing. I felt nothing. My last resort was cutting myself and getting the wound to heal. We both know that failed, too. It's just . . . gone." 

Gerard remained silent. His face was set in a passive expression, his hands still slowly working on Frank's despite the glazing of something odd over his eyes. He didn't move, didn't respond, and Frank was growing uneasy from the lack of reaction.

"You've hardly spoken more than three sentences since I got here." Frank whispered and gently moved his hands away from Gerard's. The latter's remained frozen in their same position, growing stiff without anything to hold onto. Frank swallowed. "Say something."

Gerard's lips parted, just for a moment, before they clamped shut again and his hands slowly moved to lay on top of his thighs. He was still looking at anything but Frank. "I don't know what to say."

"Why not? I'm not asking for answers, just . . . at least something to soothe me. I don't know what's wrong with me, I feel so fucking - so useless."

"You're not." Gerard said, right on instinct, and Frank softened. He sighed shakily, scooting closer, brushing Gerard's hair away from his face and pressing his lips against the spot his fingers just brushed against. But the latter was still, unfeeling. 

Frank pulled away again. "What is wrong with you?"

Gerard pressed his lips together in a thin line and his lashes batted together. He stood up, raking his hand through his hair. "Frank, I . . . I already knew your powers were gone."

Frank was stunned into silence. Not shocked, not disbelieving, but stunned in a way that was slowly on its way to transitioning into unpleasant. He was speechless and without a breath to form any words, something was blocking his throat and his brain was scrambling for something to say. Gerard slowly turned away to face him, eyes glittering so brilliantly that a cold chill felt across Frank's spine.

"Why . . . how . . ." Frank huffed, dropping his gaze to Gerard's torso when his gaze became too intense to meet. 

"You gave them to me, Frankie. Don't you remember?" Gerard bit his lip, his voice as soft and calm as it had been when they first met, but something dark was dripping from the edges. A cold, almost bitter silverlining Frank took an immediate disliking to. He was moving closer, slowly bending down until his face was at level with Frank's and only inches away. When Frank looked up, Gerard's eyes were dark and his lids were heavy over them, his tongue sweeping slowly over his curved upper lip. "You and me, fucking in that pentagram, casting that spell. I know you remember it."

Frank's breath caught. His fingers curled around the edge of the bed, nails scarping over the sheets. "I - no. Gerard, that was a cleansing spell, I only used my powers to purify yours. I gave you nothing."

"You gave me light." Gerard whispered, breath hot against Frank's open lips. "You are made of light, Frank. I asked you to lend that light to me and you said you would."

"You wanted me to fuck you to cleanse your power, not for me to hand mine over to you!" Frank's chest swelled with sudden panic, anger mixing into it as he slowly began to realize that Gerard had seduced and deceived him. Gerard stepped away from Frank.

"Nothing can cleanse this filthy curse I have, it's disgusting." Gerard spat, his fingers curling into his palms and eyes alight with self hatred. "It's like a fire and all we have is a drop of water. Nothing can put a stop to it. The only thing there was left to do was to absorb a finer power, something pure and good, so I can have a choice in which one I will confide in."

"I don't care if that was the only option left. You lied to me." Frank advanced, his entire body rigid and threatening the second it was close to touching Gerard's. Gerard didn't budge, his eyes only gleamed in a dare for him to make him move, to do any damage. He knew Frank could never do that no matter how much he may have resented him in that moment, resulting in them both standing there, mouths slightly open to release heavy breaths. 

"I didn't lie to you." Gerard boldly stated, his pupils becoming smaller in his irises. "I told you I needed you, but you were so desperate to fuck me that you agreed to anything without asking for the details."

"I wasn't desperate to fuck you, I trusted you!" Frank spat, shoving Gerard backwards. The latter barely budged, but a spark of shock flashed over his otherwise furious and smug expression. "You trust the people you love. I would never, not for one second, stop and wonder if you were going to take the one thing I cherished from me."

"You don't need it." Was Gerard's defense. 

"Neither do you." Frank deadpanned. 

"You never put good use to your gift! You were afraid to bring a fucking bird back to life, thinking it was unnatural. She's perfectly fine now, and yet I know you still wouldn't do it again." 

"You have no right to tell me I wouldn't. It's my gift and I can do whatever the hell I want with it. And what do you need it for, just so you can stop throwing yourself a pity party every day because you kill whatever you touch?"

Gerard's eyes flared. He stalked across the distance between them, Frank's heart began to beat rapidly with fear, and Gerard's hands wrapped almost painfully around his shoulders, shoving him back until he was slammed against the wall. He gasped as the air left his body and pain spread throughout the back of his skull, his back stinging from the impact. Gerard was a predator, a new person, and his ferocious gaze was cutting into Frank's skin. 

"Your gift would never be put to good use if you were left with it." Gerard whispered, eerily quiet and pronounced. "Don't you understand that's there's so much more to be done. Imagine, bringing back people you love when they die unexpectedly, curing a friend of terminal cancer, making sure no one ever leaves you so you don't have to be alone again. Isn't that beautiful, Frank?" His fingers brushed against Frank's cheek, but his touch was cold and unwelcoming. Frank turned his head the other way, his stomach flipping in fear. 

"That isn't how life works, Gerard. If you do that, there has to be consequences."

"We brought back Claudia, and look at her. She's intelligent, far more than any other animal I've ever seen." His gripped slid down to Frank's waist, slow and prepared to strike if the latter moved the wrong way. He pressed their bodies together, but Frank felt no desire to touch him. 

"She's an animal. Humans are different, haven't you paid attention to all those movies of resurrecting people from the dead and it all goes very wrong?" Frank's voice was small, wavering, afraid of what Gerard may do as punishment for his argument.

But his lips only spread into a crooked smirk, pale pink lips stretching over tiny teeth once so easy to adore. Now, Frank was terrified of what that smile may bring, what his hands were capable of. He possessed the ability to kill Frank here and now. Carry his body out, decorate it, make it look like a tragic accident. He would shed tears at his funeral, but he wondered if any of them would be genuine. 

"They're movies. Fiction versus reality, look at how different we are compared to commercial witches plastered everywhere on Halloween. You have to trust me." His hands rested on Frank's hips, his head lowering until his cheek was skimming across Frank's and his lips were falling onto the side of his neck. Leaving small, wet kisses, and Frank shivered out of anything far from pleasure. 

"How can I trust you when you took the only thing I loved about myself from me?" Frank whimpered softly. His heart was slowly cracking, scratches in fine china, and the words he spoke next broke the fragile organ entirely. "Do you even love me, or did you just want something from me this entire time?"

Gerard stopped kissing his neck. He stopped breathing, Frank felt the absence of the humid warmth puffing across his skin. Tears blurred his vision and rapidly fell from his eyes, hot and constant down his cold cheeks. Gerard pulled away from his neck in an instant, his hands lifting off his hips to instead cradle his face in his hands, thumbs wiping away his tears in a very Gerard manner. His eyes were soft and pained just as the old Gerard's eyes looked, everything about him was exactly like the old lover Frank adored. But he wasn't the same, he had shifted into a brand new person Frank couldn't recognize, someone he feared.

"Baby, I do love you. Don't doubt that for a second, everything I feel for you is more real than anything I've ever felt before. I may have wanted what you had, but I fell in love with you."

"Why, Gerard, you knew I loved it. Without it, I feel so fucking useless." Frank squeezed his eyes shut through the hot, never-ending tears. The pain ringing through his chest wasn't physical, or perhaps it was, because for a second he was afraid his chest was going to collapse in one itself from the intensity of his broken heart. 

"It's for the better. It doesn't mean I don't love you, I-" Gerard's soft voice was becoming too much, so Frank cut him off before he could finish.

"If you love someone, you don't rob them of the only thing they ever treasured. You don't lie to them, you don't use them because you want something, and you don't hurt them." Frank's fingernails dug into his palms.

Gerard's eyes flew open in shock, pain slowly settling in. "Frank, please."

"You're a fucking monster." Frank choked out at long last. Moments passed with those words brewing in his body, threatening to come out, but fear hindered him from spitting them out and using them against Gerard. Someone who wanted something so unnatural and unfair to the world, someone who was willing to take something precious from the person they claimed to love for their own selfish purposes. Frank couldn't stand the pain, the anger closing his throat up. Gerard was stunned into silence, so hurt over what Frank had said to him.

Frank didn't care anymore.

He shoved Gerard off of him in disgust. Picking his stiff and wet clothes from off the floor, he stormed up the stairs, attempting not to trip because he could barely see through the tears rising once again to his eyes. He swung open the door and flew out of the room, desperate to leave, even passing Mikey who looked just as concerned as he did in the beginning. Frank never wanted to see Gerard's face again, be faced with his presence that he still loved so fucking much. 

Love was a fucking burden. Here stood Frank, feeling useless and worthless without the only thing that made him feel special, having it stripped from him from the person he put his entire heart into, and he was still in love with him. Betrayed, lied to, but his heart laid back in that basement bedroom for Gerard to do whatever he pleased with it. Love was strange and a true monster, unkillable even as something like this occurred. Frank couldn't stop his chest from throbbing and his stomach was roiling, pain coming in waves from the intensity of his heartbreak. 

When he arrived home, he accidentally stumbled into his startled mother. She smelled like freshly baked cookies along with the rest of the house, she provided a different type of warmth Frank missed because he rarely saw her anymore when all of his time had been going into someone he thought meant more than anything else in the world. Frank was shaking with sobs, but his arms curled around his mother and he settled for crying onto her shoulder.

"Oh baby." She sounded so worried, saddened, and her arms wrapped around him tightly in return. "I'm here."

"He broke my heart, mama." Frank whispered, face contorting in pain from the truth. His hands curled into her shirt, body weak and eyes swollen from tears. 

She rubbed his back soothingly, sighing against his hair. "That's the thing about love, my baby. It makes you just to break you."


	8. Task of the Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank seeks an antidote from the only witch who can offer help.

Frank spent an entire week sulking in isolation. Thanksgiving break went by in a blur, a blur of him ignoring his friends and only seeking comfort when he was around his mother who soothed him softly, knowing how it felt to have your heart broken by putting trust in the wrong person. His father had cheated on his mother and abandoned them for another woman, and though Frank's situation was far from being the same, the concert was all familiar and sharing his pain with someone gave him at least a fragment of comfort. Other than occasionally coming out for dinner or coffee in the morning, he spent his time curled up on his bed and hugging the shirt he borrowed from Gerard close to his chest - it smelled like him, the scent of an artist with a coffee addiction. He held onto the memories of them before he found out the truth, the cold days spent together practicing magic and sharing their thoughts, connecting in a way no other pair could. Frank felt understood, like their souls mirrored one another, but in the end, Gerard had been showing him an entirely different picture than he was meant to see. 

He wondered if all Gerard wanted was power. Not Frank, not his heart, not love, only the precious light flowing through him. Did he see Frank or did he only see his gift, did he only love his special power? Frank, at one moment, would be entirely convinced that he was only hungry for power, but another moment, he remembered when they had sex under their makeshift outer space, when his powers had apparently been drained from him already. Everything felt real, the realest it had ever been, and the adoration shining in Gerard's eyes couldn't be ignored whenever Frank touched him. That was a moment Frank could never forget and it was the one weakness that prevented him from being fully convinced Gerard never loved him. Perhaps love was present, but if that were so, Frank would always love him more. Unlike Gerard, Frank never wanted anything from him. Just time, precious time for him to spend with who he loved. But now he felt like he had wasted the time he was given with someone who used him in the end. He was certain Gerard would soon cut him off once he achieved his goal of using his newly stolen power, there was no reason for Frank to be around anymore.

Frank's mother told him staying curled up and sleeping all day would be no help for his emotional state. Shedding tears, venting, it was acceptable because the pain he felt deep in his heart was inconsolable, but he needed to be stronger than that. They spent Thanksgiving together, just the two of them. His mother had cooked a turkey breast for herself meanwhile the sides were for the both of them to share. Quiet music played, they had soft conversations, and the evening distracted Frank for a bit. When pie and coffee was finished, night fell over the town and everything was quiet. Frank returned to his bed with a full stomach and a bit of ease dulling the pain, but nothing stopped the fresh tears dripping onto his pillow before he fell asleep that night. The rest of the week passed, along with the weekend, and school began again. His friends knew about what had happened; Mikey informed them about his breakup with Gerard. The story he knew must have come from Gerard. 

"Gerard lied about loving him. He just didn't want to be alone anymore."

Although the story was a million miles away from the truth, the cold bite of the mention of lies about love felt like a dagger to the heart. 

The more time passed, the more Frank became numb to the pain. Or perhaps he had grown used to it always being there, chasing away his appetite and his interest for the things he used to enjoy. His dreams were empty, he was always cold, and nothing distracted him anymore. Not only was his broken heart consuming him, but he felt hollowed out and too ordinary without his power. He felt out of place, without a purpose in the world, and not ever nature fascinated him ever since he lose what he had. Some days, he hated Gerard for making him feel this way. He took everything away from him, drained his spirit and consumed it. He would pound his fists against his pillow, throw objects against the wall, tug his hair until his scalp ached heavily and his fingers cramped from curling into his hair so harshly. Some days, when he got home, he cried and trembled for hours until he couldn't feel his throat or his eyes anymore. It was becoming too much, he was turning into someone he didn't recognize, and one day, he came to one final conclusion; he was not going to let Gerard Way take everything away from him. 

And so his quest began. The quest for Lindsey Ballato, the witch who had written the spell book he owned, containing the spell of x-ray vision he had tried while laying on the floor of Gerard's bedroom floor. The book had been published only seven years ago, meaning Lindsey was still alive and still out there somewhere. Searching for further information at the back of the book, he discovered Lindsey lived in a peaceful area somewhere in New York City, meaning he could take a day's trip to meet her, ask if she could help in any way. As he searched for her online, he came across her website dedicated to her spell book - a website also containing her email for any letters or questions involving her book. There was a single picture of her, surprising him by showing him she was a fairly young and beautiful woman. He clicked on the link to her email, quickly typing up what he needed to say, and hoped she would reply quickly.

Lindsey Ballato,

I came across your spell book in a local bookstore here in New Jersey, I also came across many other spell books that were failures in my attempt to find real working spells. Your book was the only one I tested that truly worked. I once had power, just like you if you are able to create working spells, but my power was taken from me in a ritual the person I loved lied to me about. His plans for my power are dangerous, and if you can, I am in desperate need of help to get my power back before he tries anything with it. If you ever see this, please get back to me ASAP, I have no other options.

Frank Iero.

Frank expected to be kept waiting for a few days, maybe even a week or two as anyone would expect from a published author and a possibly active witch. His patience would run for as long as he could keep it going as long as she reached out to him after reading his letter. But he was not kept waiting for days, or even a full day. Later that evening, he heard his laptop chime while he was chewing his lip and reading a book without focusing on the words and rereading the sentences several times before he turned the page. He opened the device, shocked to see he had received a reply from Lindsey.

Frank Iero,

If you fear for the worst, then as do I. Reading your short letter has me practically restless wondering what the full story could be and how messy this could turn out. My address is 8567 Applewood Drive in Albany, New York. I'll offer all the help I can give, you may visit at any time.

Lindsey B.

Frank's stomach fluttered with nerves, his lip going in between his teeth. Albany was about three hours away from where he was, but if he left early enough, he would be able to come back that same day. He needed to see her as soon as possible, meaning his weekend was now becoming a clean slate even if he had plans to finally spend time with Mikey on Saturday. Some things were too important to replace with mundane activities, even if he felt guilty for letting down his best friend yet another time. Especially because he needed Mikey to cover for him if his mother was going to let him out of town. Grabbing his phone, Frank shakily scrolled through his contact list until he found Mikey and hit the call button.

Mikey answered after a few static rings. "Hey Frank, what's up?"

Frank pursed his lips, eyes flitting towards Lindsey's email. "Hey. Um, so, I called because I really need you to do a favor for me."

He heard shuffling on the other end, like Mikey was standing. "Of course. What do you need?"

"Well . . . look, I'm really sorry, but I have to cancel our plans for this weekend. Something urgent came up and I need you to cover for me for something."

Mikey was silent for a while. Frank could practically see his eyes narrowing. "What did you get yourself into?"

"Nothing, I swear. I just really need to visit someone in New York on the weekend, it has to be as soon as possible and that's the only time my mom would let me go. Can I please tell my mom I'm going out of town with you and our friends for the day?"

"Dude, why do you need to go all the way out there for one day? You've been acting so weird since Halloween and it's honestly freaking me out."

Guilt settled heavily in Frank's gut, along with a fresh stab of pain as he remembered the reason why he may have seemed odd to everyone else. "I can't explain it, Mikey, and I'm sorry. You have to trust me on this, though, please. Everything will be fine."

"If Gerard is making you do shit or was making you-"

"No." Frank swallowed thickly, shutting his eyes. "It's me. Gerard- he has nothing to do with this."

Mikey sighed. Frank hated lying to him, but there were some things that needed to be kept secret for other people's safety. 

"Okay. I'll cover for you. But please, Frank, just be careful. I don't know what you're doing or what's going on with you, but I hope it all gets better after this." He was exasperated, Frank could tell. But he was so grateful for him letting it slide without questioning it any further, affection swelled in his chest for the first time in a long, horrible week.

"Thank you so much," Frank breathed in relief. "I love you, dude."

"Yeah yeah, I love you too." Mikey mumbled. 

___

Frank's mother thankfully allowed him to go to Albany that weekend. She easily believed he was traveling with Mikey, and she insisted he have fun on his outing because she was worried for his emotional state. Frank hated to lie to her, he hated using Mikey while keeping him in the dark as well, but he would have to swallow down the negative feeling and head out with a straight face. The address was already typed into the GPS on his phone and he was headed towards the home of the witch. He hoped the trip would be worth his while and he would find something to stop Gerard, if there was anything that could do the job. Frank didn't want to imagine the unnatural outcomes that would come to be if Gerard attempted to bring a person back to life. It was something Frank sensed was horribly wrong when he so much as thought about it when he still possessed his gift, a chill running across every pore. It was too much power, too much for this world to handle. 

Frank was driving through the unfamiliar streets of Albany three hours later. His fingers were tapping against the steering wheel nervously, his teeth gnawing on his bottom lip until it swelled slightly. Through the nerves and the hollow ache of heartbreak that never went away, he carried a glimmer of hope. Hope for a greater outcome, hope to somehow stop Gerard. He didn't want to be wrong in placing his trust in Lindsey, a woman he didn't know, but also knew so well in her power and her worry for the consequences of the sort of thing Gerard wanted to attempt with his newfound power. He fought not to think of the negative, only seeing the positive as he drove down the multiple streets his GPS led him through. The sky was clouded over with a gray cast and tiny trickles of rain fell from the colorless film. His windshield wipers wiped away the tiny droplets, but the windows on all of the doors were stained with small beads of water. 

He found himself parked along the curb of a soft blue house beside many others that appeared to be the same design and build. Each one was painted either a plain white or soft cream, others a faint brown, but this house was different from all the others with the splash of color it provided on the entire street. The trim was white and a tall white iron fence protected the home. However, the lock was undone, and he supposed it was because Lindsey was expecting him. 

He slid the gate door to the side, the bitter coldness of the curled iron vines stinging his hands. Frank walked up the pavement surrounded by rose bushes, along with other unknown species of plant and greenery, the vines curling up in thick ropes to the windows and even higher along the walls. The earth smelled like freshly watered grass, the evidence of the sprinklers being used a few moments ago being the dewdrops slipping off the leaves of the brush and the slightly damp sidewalk. Frank followed the curved pavement until he reached the three steps leading up to a tall, dark maple wood door with warped, stained glass, similar to the type of trippy design you were met with when you looked inside a kaleidoscope. Frank was hesitant to knock at first, the bundle of nerves in his gut tightening even further. His fingers curled into a loose first as he reminded himself that there was nothing to fear, Lindsey seemed kind enough from her first impression and some part of him trusted her even if another was skeptical of the literal stranger he had only seen in pictures. 

He had his fist raised to knock and it was quickly approaching the wood of the door, but it suddenly swung open and his fist almost knocked on the breast of the woman standing at the door. Frank yelped and quickly dropped his hand before any embarrassing incidents could occur. He looked up to see a woman slightly taller than him with her hand resting on her hip, smiling slightly at him with amusement. His mouth ran dry at the paleness of her skin and the inkiness of her shoulder length hair that reminded him too much of Gerard, but the pain quickly diminished as he studied the rest of her - red painted lips and dark shadows dusted around her almond shaped eyes, high cheekbones with a soft flush. Her slim body was hugged in a tight, floor length black dress very similar to Morticia Addam's dress, only the material was soft velvet and the sleeves flared out around her wrists. Her hands were pale and elegant, her nails painted blood red as her lips were.

"You must be Frank Iero." She cocked her head to the side, dark eyes quickly raking over his form.

Although intimidated by her presence, Frank managed to nod and open his mouth to reply properly. "And you're Lindsey Ballato?"

Lindsey's lips spread into a proud smile, motioning her hand over herself gracefully. "The one and only. I've been expecting you, Frank. Why don't you come inside for some tea?" She rubbed her hands together and stepped away from the doorframe, gesturing for him to step into her home. 

Frank walked inside hesitantly, stepping onto the clean wooden floor with his lips pursed. The inside of the house was just as cheery as the outside, the walls shifting to a gentle mint green light enough not to overwhelm the theme of her home with bright color. Odd paintings were hung all over the place, some titled to the side in a strangely organized fashion, wavering rows of art all joined together. All of her furniture was black, a bold color in contrast to the soft paint clinging to the walls, elegant all in itself. One large china cabinet was placed against the wall, the glass showing the contents inside. Instead of fine china and dining sets, the sleek black shelves were full of multiple glass jars of herbs, plants, dried up leaves and petals from flowers. In some, Frank believed he saw feathers and locks of animal hair. Each jar was different from the other, whether it was taller or the glass had a tint of some other color. All had the same cork lids keeping the contents inside from decaying quickly. If Frank had ever been skeptical of Lindsey being a true witch, he definitely didn't doubt it now as he read over the labels of all the jars carefully put away.

"Do you make potions out of these?" Frank asked Lindsey who was walking past him, her high heels clicking against the floor.

"Not necessarily potions, but healing gels and lotions. Some are for me to burn along with sage to kill any bad vibes I sense in the house." Lindsey pointed to one of the shelves near the bottom with her ring decorated finger, giggling softly. "That is all for my special herbal teas."

Frank broke in a smile, squinting to see the contents in the jars. He was certain he saw chamomile resting in one in particular, the rest besides bay leaves and rosemary were unknown to him. After getting a good look, he decided to follow Lindsey into the kitchen where she setting porcelain tea cups and a tea pot onto a tray, humming as she moved and collected the rest of the items. Her kitchen was black and white with some touches of red, stainless steel and silver giving the room a more modern look. She was very organized, it was pleasing to the eyes. 

"Come, we'll have this in the sitting room." Lindsey smiled shortly and led the way. 

The sitting room was wide and full of sunlight since the entire ceiling had been replaced with paned glass, letting in the warm rays and the shadow of the grand trees out in the back. Frank noticed how the clouds had passed already and there was only a few of them left in the sky, occasionally shadowing over the sun. They took a seat on Lindsey's black felt couch, setting the tray of tea on the glass coffee table in front of it. 

"I hope you don't mind me adding honey to the tea, the herbal flavor itself is too bitter to enjoy without the sweetness." Lindsey poured the greenish liquid into one of the tea cup, the steam rising in fascinating curls until it evaporated into the air.

"I don't mind." Frank said, taking the cup carefully as Lindsey handed it out to him. "Thank you."

Lindsey hummed in acknowledgment, pouring herself her own hot cup of tea. Frank moved his cup around gently, watching the liquid swirl around inside the porcelain, a bit afraid to sip it and burn himself since the steam was rising in never ending currents. 

"So, Frank, tell me the story." Lindsey sat back on the couch, crossing her legs. Frank hadn't noticed the slit going up the side of her dress; the material had separated and her pale legs were revealed, lovely curves folded on top of one another. Frank's heart was unreachable and in the home of someone else, but there was no denying that Lindsey was a very beautiful woman.

"The story?" Frank swirled his tea again.

"The story of the person who stole your power. How did this happen?"

Frank swallowed, wincing at the sudden dryness in his throat. He took the desert in the lining of his throat as an initiative to take a sip of the tea, not caring if it was still a bit too warm to be sipping just yet. The sweet, bitter flavor filled his mouth and coated his tongue, a hint of spice following it after he swallowed. 

"The person . . . well, he's my best friend's older brother. I just met him this year, really, he was always hidden away in his room down in the basement and Mikey told me he was strange. I was drawn to him, we had this strange connection, like some sort of electric current was pushing us together." Frank licked his lips.

"It's common. Witches are hypersensitive to each other, so I'm assuming he is one." Lindsey peered at him from over her tea cup as she sipped it gracefully.

Frank nodded, looking down into his cup. "I had the power of healing, and to . . . to bring things back to life. He has the opposite gift to mine. The power of death."

He heard Lindsey gasp softly, and he looked just in time to see her almond eyes widening. 

"Those are both rare powers. To heal, it's common, but to be able to bring what's been dead back to life is extraordinary as long as it's steered away from humans. And death, it's very dangerous." 

Frank's eyebrows raised. "If those are rare, then what can you do?"

Lindsey smirked lightly, her eyes glinting. "I'm a giver. I guess you can say I'm sort of like your typical fairy godmother, but unfortunately I can't turn a pumpkin into a grand carriage."

"Is that why you offered to help me?" Frank asked, his interest piqued once he learned of her ability.

"If I can conjure some sort of antidote, even a spell, then I can certainly fix this. It has to be fixable, however. Go on with the story, no more interruptions." Lindsey leaned forward, fixing her gaze on Frank.

"Right," Frank sighed, his hands wrapping around his cup. "Well, Gerard knew about my powers before I knew about his because he had seen me using it in the woods. He demonstrated on a bird I had healed before, she's sort of his pet now, and he asked me to bring her back to life. I did, and it worked. Ever since then, we worked on magic together, toying with safe spells and seeing what else we were capable of. But the thing was that Gerard was always unhappy with his ability. Especially after he almost killed me once while we kissed. He thought he was cursed more than he was gifted, and of course I helped in finding something to purify his power when he had been trying for so long with no avail. I loved him, I just wanted him to be happy . . ." Frank trailed off as a sudden lump formed in his throat, blocking his words.

Lindsey placed a sympathetic hand on his knee, pursing her lips. Frank spared her a single glance, but he was too occupied trying to prevent his eyes from filling with tears to keep his gaze on hers. 

"We found a spell in this Latin spell book he got from a witchcraft convention, which was surprisingly genuine, after we looked far and wide for anything that could help him. I didn't read the spell, I didn't see it, but Gerard told me it . . . it required sex, while surrounded by the light of a pentacle, and the both of us working together for me to cleanse him with my pure power. I didn't question it. He seduced me, made me want it, and he got exactly what he was looking for. We both passed out, but for some reason I stayed asleep far longer than he did. Something felt off for the rest of the week, I felt painfully ordinary. It wasn't until I tried to heal and revive multiple things did I realize my power was gone. I even tested it on myself." Frank lifted his striped long sleeve, showing Lindsey the bandaged but healing wound on his arm. "Nothing. I went to Gerard for comfort after I broke down. His actions were kind, but he didn't say anything, up until he finally admit that he stole my power."

"What did he want your gift for?" Lindsey asked as Frank pulled his sleeve back over his arm.

Frank bit his lip, his stomach flipping. "He wants to use it to cure people of terrible illness, and to bring people back from the dead."

Lindsey nearly spilled her tea from how quickly she sat up. Her spine was straight and her eyes alight with alarm, she set her cup down on the table and twisted her body around to face Frank. "No, we can't have that. We can't. In ancient spell books, there are warnings for witches. The power of healing can be very precious, but also more dangerous than death. If we try and bring someone back from the dead, they will return not with their soul, but the soul of the dark spirits from the underworld. Much like demonic possession, but there's no way to bring back their original soul once it's passed on."

Frank wasn't sure was passed through his body; it could have been shock, terror, or a mixture of both. He was certain Gerard didn't know about the consequences that came with resurrecting anyone from the dead, and if he attempted to tell him, the stubborn boy would disregard Frank's warnings and continue on with his reckless plans using the power he stole.

"How do I stop him? He won't listen to me, even if I try to convince him." Frank knew he would be pushed away, leaving him heartbroken all over again. He didn't think he would be able to stand going through that process of pain once more, the mere thought of it has his heart swelling to the point where he feared it was going to shatter his ribs from the pressure.

"You need to get your power back." Lindsey stood. "I just so happen to know a way for you to do that."

Frank followed her to the china cabinet holding all of her herbs and spices, watching wearily as she twisted one of the knobs a certain way, followed by her reaching underneath the piece of furniture, fingers pressing against something he couldn't see that clicked before she pulled her hand away. Suddenly, the cabinet was moving, the legs scraping against the floor. Frank jumped back in alarm. The cabinet continued to slide to the side until the wall behind it was revealed - along with the shallow outline of a doorway. It swung open, sending a gust of air out to the both of them. Inside was a cobblestone floor with mirror walls, mimicking the look of the infamous house of mirrors displayed at a carnival. Nothing laid inside the room except for a single pedestal stand in the center of the floor. The carved marble mimicked the look of vines curling around the base, thorns decorating the thick stems wrapping around the indented columns. One spell book laid upon the pedestal; the same one Gerard owned, along with two ancient vials of some sort of unknown liquid, one purple and the other black as pitch. 

"It will be fairly simple if you're willing to go through the process of taking your power back." Lindsey stated, taking Frank inside the room with her. The door swung shut behind them, closing them off in the eerie hidden room that made Frank feel uneasy despite trusting Lindsey. 

"I'm willing to do it, as long as it stops Gerard." Frank sighed shakily, eyes falling upon the familiar book Lindsey opened and was now leafing through. Like she had memorized it front and back. 

"The spell your Gerard used was the Claiming of the Light spell. Not a cleansing spell at all, there is no way to purify a dark power such as his." Lindsey turned a few more pages in, slowing down on a page with a darkly inked illustration of the same pentacle Gerard had drawn on the floor that night. 

"'Blood of my blood, soul within my core, take upon this light to merge with me for filth no more.'" Lindsey translated the ancient language for Frank to understand the meaning of the spell. Frank stood beside, peering onto the spell book and reading over the dark script despite being told what it read. 

"That's why he didn't translate it for me. He usually does, but he didn't want me to know." Frank's heart fell, his eyes falling upon the image of a man and a woman having sex inside the pentagram, surrounded by a bright light enveloping them both. The same light Frank witnessed swallowing him whole. 

"If he has ahold of this book, then it's fallen into the wrong hands. This book is ancient, only three of them are left in the world. I thought two were lost forever, but it seems Gerard has one." Lindsey paused, glancing at Frank. "He got it from a witchcraft convention?"

"Yes, a bookstore owner gave it to him. I suppose she was a real witch if she had it." Frank chewed his bottom lip. 

"No, a real witch wouldn't be so stupid to give away such a precious book to someone as young and inexperienced as he is." Lindsey sighed, turning the page. "If he went through this book, he must know there's a way to undo it, but since it requires magic, he must think it isn't possible for you to perform the spell."

"Well . . . it is impossible, if that's the case."

Lindsey smile brightly, her eyes squinting at the ends endearingly. "Nothing is impossible when you have me to help." She took one of the vials sitting beside the book, long red nails clinking against the fragile looking glass. "I will be needing this, but first, I need you to listen to me when I tell you how to undo the spell."

Frank nodded, ripping his eyes away from the strange vial to focus on her. 

"The only way to undo the spell is to do it in reverse. Switching roles, I should say. Find him, pretend you are on his side for him to become comfortable and romantic with you again, and allow him to make love to you as you did with him. Perform the spell I will give to you and you will have your power transferred back to you." Lindsey instructed clearly, twirling the neck of the bottle between her fingers.

Frank's mouth went dry with sudden nervousness and heavy insecurities of the plan working. "We had to perform the ritual inside a pentagram to draw in the power of the light and the dark, he will know what I'm doing if I draw one around us."

"You may be in the mere presence of one for it to work. I can ink it somewhere on your body, that alone will guide you in your spell." Lindsey popped open the cork nestled in the mouth of the bottle of purple liquid, resulting in the soft fizzing at the top. "This and the breath of a witch will give you power for forty eight hours. Enough time for you to perform the ritual and gain back what is yours."

Frank eyed the potion uneasily. Some part of him wondered if Lindsey was poisoning him, considering if everything here including her kindness was a charade to pull him in and kill him. Perhaps there were more secret rooms within the household, and she used human body parts and blood for her own personal use.

"You can trust me, Frank." Lindsey said softly, slowly handing him the vial. "I only want to help. You're the only one who can stop him without taking drastic measures."

Frank hesitated, taking in her words. Her eyes were gentle, as were her movement and the ghost of a smile resting quietly on her full lips. The potion in his hand had finished bubbling and was awaiting for him to bring the glass to his lips.

And he did, lifting the drink to his mouth and consuming it quickly. The burn was similar to gulping down soda, but not quite as violent since it was thicker and much smoother than anything he had ever drank before. The taste was sweet, sickly sweet, coating his mouth and throat until he had taken in every drop left. He licked his lips once he pulled the vial away, his body becoming warm in an instant until static was grinding against all of his nerves, but only wading. 

"And now, you need the breath of a witch." Lindsey whispered.

Frank was unaware of how he would obtain such an ingredient until she was tenderly cupping his face in her elegant hands, long nails pressing softly against his skin. She leaned in and placed her smooth lips atop of his in a ghost of a kiss. Frank's eyes widened, meeting her closed eyes. She opened her lips, his hesitantly following, and she exhaled slowly into his mouth. He was breathing her in, the presence of magic strong in the way she tasted, and everything inside of Frank felt like it was being shocked. Familiar electricity flowed into his bloodstream and sunk underneath his skin, his body absorbing every bit of it. As Lindsey gracefully pulled away, Frank was wriggling his fingers, feeling them going numb from the charge of temporary power.

"Pardon me stealing a kiss, but it was only completely necessary." Lindsey smiled serenely.

"Yeah, thank you so much." He breathed, almost crying from how much he had missed the sweet kiss of magic against his skin. 

"Take the spell book with you." Lindsey retrieved the red ribbon sticking out from between the pages and placed it in the crease of the book to save the page the spell was on. Shutting it, she gingerly lifted it from its place and held it out to Frank. "I trust you with this, memorize the spell and return it whenever you can once the ritual is complete. And, if you can, take that book away from Gerard and hide it somewhere he can never find it." 

Frank took the book into his hands, weighing it and brushing his fingers along the spine. "Thank you, Lindsey, for everything. I'll repay you somehow."

Lindsey waved him off, smiling softy and cupping the side of his face the way a mother would give a gentle touch to her child. "I don't believe in repaying people for good deeds."

Frank blushed, holding the book against his chest securely. "Forty eight hours?"

"Forty eight hours." She nodded in confirmation, placing her palm against the back of the book. "Meaning you must hurry and perform your ritual before time runs out. Even during the last hour, the magic will begin to weaken."

"Tonight." Frank licked his lips, his heart beating quickly to the point where it was possible it could explode. "I can get to him tonight."

"Perfect. Now come, I must give you your pentagram."


	9. Murder of the Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A spiral of madness and heartbreak can lead any witch's power to become as destructive as it is beautiful.

Nothing was more nerve wracking than having to face the person who broke your heart again. Nothing pained you more than having to lie to them, create a different reality just to leave them again in the end. Frank could stay, he had the choice to attach himself to Gerard's side again and never leave, but he was certain he would be hated into oblivion for what he was going to do to him, and perhaps it was for the best. That way, Frank had no other choice than to force himself to move on. After shooting the devil down, there was no other hell to chase. 

Lindsey had given Frank a henna on the inside of his wrist, a small pentagram to aid him in the ritual. After a week, it would begin to chip away and rid of the evidence of the spell ever happening. Frank already knew ahead of time he would scrub his skin raw the second he returned home, attempting to erase every memory of it. He would bury Gerard's spell book, return Lindsey's, and force everything to be restored to the way it was before he met Gerard. The sound of it was so easy, but the reality was more painful than he'd like to admit.

Instead of driving straight home, he was headed straight to Gerard to get it over and done with. There was no time to waste, not with limited magic and a fragile heart he taped together just for one night. His mother believed he was spending the night at Mikey's, too tired to keep his eyes open for much longer, and Mikey was driving the rest of the way home. She consented naturally, wishing him a good night, and that was the end of it. Frank's hands against the steering wheel were too hot, breaking into a sweat, and his heart was beating rapidly, stomach flipping inside out painfully. He tried not to let his nerves get the better of him. He murmured the spell over and over again to himself, memorizing each word and the way it was pronounced. 

"Et sanguis sanguinem meum, in me anima mea core, ut donum tergum meum ius in corpus meum amplius."

As he pulled into the driveway of the way household, he noticed the lack of cars parked there, meaning Donna wasn't home this evening. Also the lack of Mikey's car. This was highly convenient to him because Mikey was onto Frank, convinced it had something to do with his brother. To him, he must have had a theory that they were both doing drugs behind everyone's back, which was why they stayed together all of the time and barely ever surfaced. This would be a story Frank could stand beside if it ever came out, for there was no good explanation as to why their romance was kept a secret to the world, why Frank acted so strangely. 

In order to shield himself so Gerard would not be able to sense his power, he had casted a neutralizing spell upon himself. Gerard wouldn't be able to feel his magic, or him at all, so he couldn't put the pieces together and see that Frank had somehow gotten a grip onto magic to take back what was his.

Frank stepped out of the car, covering the spell book with a blanket in the backseat. His heart was pounding while he made his way to the front door, his lip in between his teeth. He knew Gerard was there, he could feel him even as he stood outside of the house, and he hated that he missed being able to sense his presence from miles away. He swallowed harshly, quietly using his magic to unlock the door and swing it open. It opened without a single creak, revealing the dark and quiet house inside. The house had been abandoned for a few hours, he could sense it immediately from the coldness emitting from it. The shadow from the moonlight bled onto the floors, over the furniture, blending in with the blacks blanketing over every object due to the lack of light. He stepped inside carefully and quietly, his breath shaking due to his trembling body. He wasn't cold, but he could have passed as such from the chills rippling through his body. He tugged the sleeves of his shirt, shutting the door and locking it behind him without so much as a glance at it. 

Light was shining over the floor through the crack of the door leading to Gerard's room. He was there, his presence becoming stronger with each footstep he made. His hand wrapped around the cold door knob and twisted, palm slick over the cold metal. When the door opened, he quietly slipped down the stairs, his heart beat crashing loudly in his ears and his mouth dry. The familiar scenery felt like home, a home in which Frank once wished he could shelter himself in forever. He reached the bottom of the stairs and turned his head slowly, breath still shuddering. 

Gerard was curled up by the windowsill as he had been the last time Frank came to visit him. He was slowly stroking Claudia's feathers and the window was wide open, letting in the winter chill. But Gerard did not appear to be cold; he was wearing a short sleeve shirt and his pale skin was glowing in the moonlight that leeched all color away from his complexion. He was wearing his favorite pair of ratty sweatpants, the ones with tiny holes and bleach stains. 

"Gerard." Frank choked out. It was all he could say, nothing else was willing to come out.

It was enough to grab the latter's attention. His head turned quickly, his eyes widening as they landed on Frank's trembling form. It was like Frank was looking at him for the first time all over again, but everything was coming back so much stronger. The attraction, for the most part, flooded into his sore heart while he was drinking in that pretty face framed by perfectly messy ink black hair, all of his pale, unblemished skin. There were circles under his eyes now, and his lips looked abused from frequent biting and licking. Frank's knees wanted to buckle and give out.

"Frank?" Gerard whispered. Claudia let out a squawk once his petting ceased, spreading her wings and flying out the window.

Frank fought back the pain and the tears, his mouth open but no words coming out for a moment until he collected himself.

"I- I came back for you."

Gerard slowly rose to his feet, his fingers brushing away a stray lock of hair hanging on his face. "You . . . am I dreaming?"

Frank's heart clenched upon hearing the softness of his voice, the pain sneaking in during some part of his question. A natural, pained chuckle came out from between his lips, lips that were curling into a smile that sprouted from something far from joy or humor. "No, you aren't."

"How did you get inside?" His eyes flickered up the stairs. 

"T-there's a spare key under the mat Mikey keeps there for me for whenever. I had almost forgotten about it, but it's- it's still there." He quickly conjured up a lie, one convincing enough for Gerard not to be suspicious. Thankfully he was not, but if anything, he became guarded. 

"I thought I was a monster." Gerard said, his eyes darkening rapidly. Frank's heart accelerated from the look in his eyes, the one that had chased him away. 

"I was upset. People say so many things when they're upset, things they don't mean." Frank gulped, flushing dark red. "I could never look you in the eye and tell you that without knowing it isn't the truth."

His beautiful Gerard, soft and fragile, Frank knew on the inside he wasn't a monster. His ideas were different, they were wrong, but as inhumane as they were, he knew nothing of the effect his plans could have if he took action in them. A monster did horrific things, and perhaps he would be one if he were to take advantage of his ability to bring death. 

"You were afraid of me." Gerard's voice sounded weak, and his eyes glossed over. "You trembled and cried when I even tried to touch you. You ran away from me and never came back."

"I know." Frank whimpered, fresh pain lashing at his heart. "I know I did. And every second I spent away from you, it felt so wrong. What I did was wrong, I didn't even try to understand you and what you wanted because I've never heard anything like it."

"You're afraid of what I want to do, Frank. It's only a good thing, I want to do a good thing for people." Gerard rubbed his hands over his arms, dropping his eyes to the floor.

And this was where Gerard went wrong, even now. Frank had to keep pretending. 

"I thought it was wrong. I only thought of the worst, not the good side of it, and I'm so sorry for lashing out and abandoning you because I was afraid." Frank took a hesitant step forward. 

"Are you still afraid?" Gerard asked, his breath trembling.

Frank went cold. He continued nonetheless, even if it burned his throat to lie to him. "No. I'm not afraid, It's why I'm here, why I'm hoping you can forgive me for what I said and how I reacted." He was afraid, now knowing what would happen if Gerard took his chances. He remembered feeling like prey under Gerard the day he discovered why his power had suddenly been drained from him. He had the ability to end Frank's life in one second and the fear of him doing so hadn't hit him until then. A flaw in the unbreakable love he felt for him.

"How can I be so sure that you're not only coming back because you miss me and you don't genuinely feel sorry?" Gerard spoke defensively, his eyes lighting up with pain. Frank wanted to absorb his pain to take it all away from him, let him be free of such horrible emotions.

"I'm asking for your forgiveness because I love you, Gee." Frank's voice cracked and filled with raw emotion with no warning. He felt like he was choking on it. "I love you so much, even after you stole my power. I've been numb since I stormed out on you, I don't want to eat or go outside or even get out of bed because I miss you so much that it kills me inside."

Gerard whimpered softly, his eyes turning glassy in the dim lighting. His bottom lip quivered softly and Frank's own pair of lips quivered at the sight. 

"I've been spending all of time thinking you resented me, you didn't want me in your life anymore." Gerard whispered, rubbing his left eye. "Nothing felt right, it was too quiet and cold, and I kept torturing myself by using a dream spell to see you every night. The same dream, one exactly like this." He gestured between the both of them. 

"You don't need to do that to yourself anymore." Frank stepped forward slowly. His every move was being watched carefully, a slave to the olive green eyes he had longed to see for days. "I understand you now, Gerard. What you want to do for the world, it's such a beautiful thing. And you were right, I was too afraid of the cons to go through with something like that. I've forgiven you for absorbing my power, it will be put to so much better justice if it's in your hands." He tried to sound convincing as possible, soft and airy all the same. He was coming closer, within touching distance, and the static of Gerard's presence in the air enveloped his body, 

Gerard watched him move with wide, shocked eyes, skin flushing a soft pink. He was weakening, falling under the spell Frank was only beginning to cast with his eyes, his voice and the closeness of his body. His heart was breaking and rejoicing all at once, although the latter of the chain of events going on inside him should not have existed when he knew none of this would stay. None of it was meant to matter if half of it was lies. 

"What are you saying?" Gerard breathed. His gaze was insecure and soft under his eyelashes, as gentle as he was one the inside underneath his fatal flaw. This was the gaze Frank fell in love with, the one he was still desperately in love with, and it had him carelessly reaching out for him until his hands were sliding over his shoulders, up the sides of his smooth neck, body moving forward until they were centimeters apart and breathing the same air. 

"I want to be by your side no matter what." Frank licked his lips, listening to the way Gerard was gasping softly. "I'd watch the world burn in your wake if you asked me to. But in this case, you want to bring life back to the earth, bring back loved ones. It's a gift, and you are a genius for thinking of it if I had the power and didn't consider touching people with it."

Gerard swayed softly, stumbling back until he hit the wall behind him. Frank trapped him against it, resting his forehead against the latter's and soaking in the heat of his ragged breaths against his own open lips. Gerard slowly placed his hands on Frank's lower back, the heat soaking through his shirt immediately. Frank whimpered quietly, his knee between Gerard's legs as pure desperation and emotion overtook him. Gerard's fingers brushed over a small strip of bare skin peeking out between his shirt and his jeans, heat against heat.

"You'll stay with me, baby?" Gerard licked his lips, eyes half lidded as he slowly slid his hands under Frank's shirt and pressed his hot open palms against his skin. Frank shuddered in pleasure. "As much as we've ripped into each other, hurt each other, you're still coming back to me?"

"I can't be without you." Frank shut his eyes tight, trying his hardest to keep a straight face while his heart was clenching painfully. "I don't care what we've done or said in the past. All that matters is the present and future, what miracles are yet to come that I get to witness. I love you, every bit of you." His fingers curled into Gerard's hair, fingertips meeting his palms as he clenched his hands into fists around the chunks of inky hair and drew Gerard impossibly closing so their lips were almost touching. The energy was hot, desperate and heavy, exactly where he needed it to be. It was his turn to seduce. 

Gerard's fingers dug into Frank's hips, the soft flesh he was now pressing against his own lower half. Frank gasped genuinely, the blood rushing through his veins growing warmer by the second. "I love you, Frank, I'm so fucking in love with you."

The pain was nearly unbearable. But the pleasure and heat was enough to cover the wounds, the fresh lashes to Frank's raw and abused heart. The difference now from all the past times he suffered this spiteful pain was that he had the source of it to live in a lie with, to pretend nothing hurt and everything was beautiful. At least for a moment. Frank promised himself he wouldn't lose himself so deeply in Gerard that he would fail his task here. 

Their lips collided at last. After a long moment of panting like animals while pressing together, their lips met and Frank's skin felt like it would melt and slide sensually off his bones. Frank moaned against Gerard, having missed the sweet taste his mouth watered for when he was alone at night, shedding tears and needing something to keep the chill away from his body. He missed the heat alongside the flavor, the sensation of velvety lips eagerly prying his open so his wet, needy tongue could lap inside his mouth and taste him. He felt how all of the pieces of his broken heart were slowly melding back together, rising from the ashes to meet one another again. Frank was stupid to let it happen, but being put back together had never felt so fulfilling. He kissed Gerard harder, whining against his lips and fisting his hair, the silky tresses threading through his greedy fingers. Gerard's hands slid up Frank's back and then down again, fluidly moving to his hips once more to grasp his flesh. His tongue was moving into Frank's mouth, brushing over his lips at first, and Frank had never opened his lips quicker. He slid his tongue out to meet Gerard's and suddenly the kiss became so much hotter, messier, the air exchanged between them humid and near suffocating. But neither one wanted to pull away, and that was the beauty of it. 

Frank slid his knee slowly further up Gerard's legs, the softness of his thighs parting slightly to let Frank continue venturing, until he was pressed against the warmest part of him, rubbing against the spot until Gerard was moaning and pressing against his lower thigh. His fingernails bit into Frank's soft skin at his hips and he pulled away to gasp for air, almost immediately coming back to take Frank's lip between his teeth and bite down on it just hard enough to make Frank moan like a whore, his cock twitching heavily during the process. He had never heard himself make such a desperate noise, but from the breath Gerard let out, he knew he appreciated it. 

Gerard's hands slid to the back of Frank's thighs, pushing him forward until Frank tensed his body and jumped up. His legs wrapped around Gerard's waist tightly and Gerard grasped him to keep him from falling off. Their lips crashed together again and they were moving towards the bed. Frank's stomach was filled with sparks of anticipation, nerves and arousal. He was rapidly hardening in his jeans as his clothed cock rubbed against Gerard with each step he took. He breathed a moan into Gerard's mouth, sliding his tongue inside. Gerard cradled the back of Frank's head and laid him on the bed, his movements gentle despite the passion in his kiss. The sheets were familiar, warm and welcoming. They broke the kiss to tug at each other's shirts, eventually getting both of them off, and the slid further onto the bed until Frank's head was resting on the pillows and Gerard was crawling on top of him, swinging his hips unintentionally enticingly. Frank licked his swollen lips, fingers gliding over the surface of Gerard's milky skin and tugging him closer. 

"I want you to fuck me this time." Frank whispered, running his hands over Gerard's hairless and smooth chest. 

"Are you sure? It isn't done without pain." Gerard took one of Frank's hands, bringing it to his lips where he placed soft kisses atop of the tips of each of his fingers. Frank's heart swelled at the action, filling his entire chest.

"I don't care." Frank leaned up and kissed him softly. "Nothing could feel unpleasant while making love with you."

Color spread through Gerard's cheeks, his lashes fluttering delicately. He said nothing more, only brought his head down to attach his lips to Frank's once more. The kiss was warm, slower than their previous kisses, and Frank could feel the emotion Gerard was seeping into him. Frank whimpered, his tongue dipping into Gerard's mouth to taste more of his sweetness. The latter flicked his tongue over his lips, teeth grazing his bottom one. He was slowly kissing his lips, then his bottom one, pulling it down until it snapped back with a soft pop and he pressed a wet kiss to the small dip below his bottom lip. Frank shuddered upon the feeling of Gerard slowly traveling further down with his kisses. His neck was being showered by his hot lips, sending chills down his spine, and his fingers curled into his dark locks. Breathy moans floated past his wet and open lips, reactions to the trail of hot kisses and the tiny nips of teeth moving across the tender skin at his throat. He wrapped one leg around Gerard's leg, hips twitching upwards. Gerard's hips met Frank's wriggling ones and they were both hard, aching, rubbing together for friction. 

Frank shut his eyes and moaned, head falling back onto the pillows, and Gerard's lips were on his chest. He jumped as he felt the wetness of the latter's tongue laying atop of his nipple, but he melted and his cock jerked once Gerard began lapping at it, sucking softly. His stomach muscles tightened and his mouth hung open, releasing hot breaths, his hips moving along with Gerard's. The pleasure was rough and not nearly enough, but the waves of it crashing over him had him panting heavily, his lids fluttering over his eyes with each movement. 

They rolled over, Frank straddling Gerard and rocking his hips slowly down onto his. Gerard moaned lowly, the sound trailing off breathily, and he grasped Frank's thighs for something to hold onto while his body shuddered and met his movements. Frank threw his head back and his eyes slipped shut. Gerard's hands moved to Frank's torso, running smoothly under his flawless skin, over his subtle curves and the tiny love handles at his back, grasping the extra skin collecting around his hips. Frank shuddered heavily, taking one of Gerard's hands and kissing his palm. His lips closed over his fingers, sucking, tasting the salt sting and rubbing his tongue over the pads of his fingers. 

"Fuck, you are so beautiful." Gerard breathed, rubbing his digits over his smooth tongue, thumb moving across his pink bottom lip. 

His fingers slid out and they were kissing again, wet and hot, hands fumbling for one another's pants. Gerard's were easy to slide down his thighs because they were loose sweatpants, the elder's lack of underwear was an eyebrow raising factor, but Frank didn't want to waste any time. He helped Gerard out of his pants and they soon laid in a pool on the ground. Gerard unzipped Frank's jeans and undid the smooth metal button, rolling them down his legs until Frank took over and kicked them off after they had reached his ankles. His underwear went with the pants, thankfully, and both of them were exposed to each other. 

Frank kissed Gerard's thick thighs, appreciating the fullness of them with his lips. They were soft, milky pale, and all Frank wanted to do was part them and devour what laid between them; flip him over, spread him apart and consume him whole, his tongue messily lapping inside of him while he moaned and pushed himself back onto his face. Frank bit his lip, rubbing his palm against Gerard's hip, and held back the desire to do so. He needed Gerard inside him to perform the ritual, tasting him would take time away despite it sounding like it would be worth it. Frank kissed the inside of his thigh, emitting a soft moan from the latter, and moved further up his body once again. 

"Do you want to prep me?" Frank rolled his lips into his mouth, brushing Gerard's hair away from his face.

Gerard nodded, smiling softly, and retrieving the small bottle of lotion they had used the night they first had sex. Frank settled himself onto Gerard's thighs, fingers tracing soft patterns over the latter's silky skin. Gerard squeezed a perfect amount of the substance onto three of his fingers, rubbing them together, and reached his arm around Frank. Frank shut his eyes, lifting his hips a bit, feeling Gerard's other hand rubbing his hip in soothing circles. Gerard's first finger slid between his cheeks, eventually discovering the dip of his entrance. Frank gasped at the foreign touch, but didn't dare to move. Gerard circled his hole, spreading the cool lotion, and slowly sank his finger inside. 

It felt strange. Not painful, but odd to have something inserted inside of him, his muscles immediately clenching around his finger tightly. He was scared to move, tensing up. Gerard soothed him with his free hand, stroking his lower back.

"You have to relax, then it'll feel good." Gerard whispered, his voice like silk. Frank took in a quiet deep breath and relaxed his muscles, feeling Gerard's finger moving slowly in and out until the tip of the second one pressed against his rim. It wasn't until that one was moving inside did Frank feel an aching pain spike through him. He hissed softly, his eyes watering as they did whenever he felt any ounce of pain. Gerard soothed him through the entire painful process, whispering soft reassurances until all three of his fingers were opening him up, stretching him. It was aching, burning, and Frank found nothing pleasant in it until something inside him was stricken by all three fingers. An intense wave of pleasure rippled through his body, starting from his lower body and spreading rapidly to the crown of his head. He arched his back and a loud moan echoed in the room, body pushing downwards to get more of the divine sensation that just rang through him. He rode Gerard's fingers shallowly, feeling that spot being pressed against each time and he kept chasing each wave of it until he was beginning to leak precome; a small bead, rapidly growing at the tip of his rigid cock.

Gerard removed his fingers and replaced it with his slicked cock after he pulled Frank closer, pressing against his stretched hole and slowly sliding inside. The breath was knocked out of Frank upon Gerard's entry. The pain was so much more intense than when he had fingers inside of him - Gerard was a different girth, longer than his fingers, and Frank felt like he may rip in half. Tears filled his eyes as Gerard pushed all the way in before he stopped, his hands reaching out and cupping Frank's face in them.

"It's just for a little while, baby, I know how bad it is." He shushed him quietly as Frank made a strangled noise against his own will during his reassuring statement. He felt guilty for putting Gerard through this once, he only imagined it to be half as bad as this. Frank nodded, a tear slipping down his cheek. Gerard brushed it away, sitting up on his elbows to give Frank a soft kiss on his lips. Frank kissed back through the pain, panting and trying to keep more tears from falling. He clenched his jaw as he pulled away, mustering the will so slowly move his hips up and down. Gerard held back a moan, his eyes squeezing tightly shut and one of his hands slid to the back of Frank's neck. Frank chased away the pain by moving, swaying his hips, panting at the slickness of Gerard's dick sliding in and out of him. 

"Do you want me to move now?" Gerard breathed, his voice strained and airily seductive. Frank shivered, his lips parting, and he nodded eagerly. He needed movement, he needed pleasure, anything but the aching pain throbbing all the way inside his spine. He carded his fingers through Gerard's hair, resting his forehead against his shoulder and bracing himself.

Gerard was moving slowly, gliding against Frank's walls, setting his nerves on fire. Frank licked his lips at the discomfort, but something about the friction and the feeling of being filled up had him moaning softly, the ghost of pleasure ringing in his cock that had grown half hard through the process of being penetrated. He bit his lip, holding onto Gerard and rocking down in his lap. His ass met Gerard's hips, staying pressed there for a moment. The latter wrapped his large hands around Frank's delicate hips and his thrusts increased in speed, their skin lightly slapping together with each movement. The pain was ceasing rapidly and Frank's toes were curling now, never feeling so full in his life before, and his cock was rubbing between their bodies, slick and throbbing. He clung to Gerard, moaning into his neck, kissing the soft skin and sucking it until a light shade of purple began to bloom over the usual white flesh. Gerard was moaning close to his ear, breathy and sensual, making Frank's body crave more. 

Finally, after moving at an angle during the next few thrusts, the blunt and smooth head of Gerard's dick came in contact with the sweetest spot buried deep inside Frank. The spot he pressed against with his fingertips, but now that something so much more solid and thicker was triggering it, Frank's entire body arched and he slammed himself down on Gerard's cock, the action making them both moan aloud and rock their hips from the intense waves of pleasure they experienced. Sweat broke out over Frank's skin and he needed more, he couldn't breathe without with pleasure. He began bouncing himself onto Gerard, moaning and throwing his head back at the hot, fulfilling slide of his cock shoving in and out of him whilst hitting his prostate each time he was to the hilt inside. He chased the bliss, letting it fill up his entire body until his insides were lighting up and he could barely keep his eyes open while he was whimpering, sweating and panting like an animal in heat.

And Gerard - Gerard was passion, lust, and love tied into one. His hands were everywhere, touching and worshipping every inch of Frank as he pounded inside him as eagerly as Frank was rapidly rising and lowering his hips. He kissed him until his lips were raw, marked his neck, moaned and panted into his mouth so they were exchanging oxygen. They rolled around the bed, taking various positions to prolong the raw pleasure they brought each other. Frank was on his back, his legs in the air, and Gerard roughly shoved in and out of him. Frank was leaking all over himself and the sheets, precome falling from the slit of his swollen cock in long, sticky lines that kept coming. Sweat plastered his hair to his face and his cheeks were bright red, along with his kissed lips and the brand new marks branding his neck. He cared little if they would be a pain to hide when they were finished. All that mattered was now, their sex and the way Gerard was looking at him.

They shifted again so Frank was riding Gerard as he was in the beginning, rocking his hips and biting his lip at the electric heat of Gerard's hands roaming all over his body. His hips, his thighs, his chest, his torso, nothing went unloved by those pale, delicate hands Frank had missed so much. Missing Gerard was irrelevant as Frank let out a loud moan, collapsing on top of Gerard as he was spread apart and pounded into without a break in between. His mouth was open and endless moans dripped from his open lips, broken whimpers and pleas for him not to stop. Gerard's fingernails bit into Frank's skin and possibly split it, but Frank felt nothing but a pleasure filled sting rise up in his body. He kissed Gerard sloppily, all tongue and occasional knocking of teeth, their moans preventing them from keeping their lips pressed firmly together for more than a few seconds. 

Sex was heavy in the air, both in scent and temperature, even the sound of it filled the thick air and the haze was even better than the first time. Frank squeezed his eyes shut and straightened his body, taking control and moving up and down as quick and his hips and thighs allowed him to. He was burning up - reminding him of what he was here for. A bitter strike of pain wounded his heart once again and he bit back a wince. He grinded down onto Gerard's cock at an angle so the raw, nearly painful pleasure was focused on his prostate and the pain would be chased away.

"Fuck!" He cried out, gasping sharply. 

He knew it was time. His orgasm would come soon, everything was suddenly feeling much more intense than it had only moments ago. Gerard held him close, pink lips parted and eyes shut tightly as he absorbed his own pleasure. Rosy and pale, so beautiful, Frank almost felt guilty for using him, but deep down he knew he wasn't only having sex with him for the ritual. Frank licked his lips, shutting his eyes and planting his palms on Gerard's milky white chest. Focusing, fighting through the heavy veil of pleasure blanketing over his senses. He began to whisper the spell upon the energy coming alive in his fingertips.

"Et sanguis sanguinem meum, in me anima mea core, ut donum tergum meum ius in corpus meum amplius. Et sanguis sanguinem meum, in me anima mea core, ut donum tergum meum ius in corpus meum amplius." Frank swallowed, feeling the burn of the spell at the back of his spine, creeping further up. 

"Frank, w-what are you saying?" Gerard breathed, eyes glazed but his thrusts slowing. Frank bit hard into his lip and grinded down on Gerard, ultimately distracting him.

"Et sanguis sanguinem meum, in me anima mea core, ut donum tergum meum ius in corpus meum amplius." Frank gasped, feeling the power surge through him so intensely that he jerked forward. "E- et sanguis s-sanguinem meum, in me anima mea core, ut donum tergum meum ius in corpus meum amplius."

Gerard's eyes suddenly flew open in alarm. Frank panicked, quickly chanting the spell over again, the power rushing towards his hands at an alarming rate. He opened his mouth, aiming to recite it again, but he yelped loudly as Gerard roughly slid out of him and grabbed him by his upper arms, quickly flipping them over and pinning Frank to the bed, his body preventing him from struggling. 

"Please, no." Frank sobbed, turning away in terror at the flashing light of pure rage shining in Gerard's pupil-swallowed irises. Fear pulsed through his body and the magic from the spell was very slowly slipping away. 

"What the fuck are you trying to do to me?" Gerard growled, hot and furious inches away from Frank's face. 

His heart was hammering in his chest, panic scrambling all of his thoughts together. All he knew was that he couldn't give up or be chased away again, this was something he needed to or a plethora of disasters would make their way onto the earth. He squeezed his eyes shut, mustering all of his strength. He cried out, shoving Gerard off of him. He pinned the latter who had huffed in distress against the mattress, grabbing his wrists harshly and pinning his arms above his head. Gerard's eyes were wild and he thrashed under Frank's grip, but Frank knew he was stronger even if Gerard was larger and much more intimidating.

"Et sanguis sanguinem meum, in me anima mea core, ut donum tergum meum ius in corpus meum amplius, et sanguis sanguinem meum, in me anima mea core, ut donum tergum meum ius in corpus meum amplius, et sanguis sanguinem meum, in me anima mea core, ut donum tergum meum ius in corpus meum amplius." Frank winced at the boiling heat passing through him. He gnashed his teeth together, channeling the energy into Gerard and himself.

"You have no fucking power!" Gerard cried out, his body flopping violently and almost knocking Frank over. 

Frank shuddered and his fingers curled around Gerard's wrists, bruising the skin, burning the spell into him. White energy was flaring around them both, shining as brightly as the sun in a flourish of nearly unbearable heat, and something was filling Frank to the brink and ever further than that, igniting in his bones with an electric current strong enough for him to wonder if he was being struck by lightening. His body arched and Gerard was gasping, fighting against it. But he was not the one taking charge for the first time since they met, and he had become a slave to Frank's spell. He felt his power pouring back inside of him in its rightful home, draining Gerard of what was not his to take. The spell kept falling from Frank's lips like a holy mantra and Gerard had stopped fighting - there was nothing left to fight, Frank had finally won. The pain was overlapped by the euphoria, the beauty of pure magic spilling into his veins and rushing alongside his blood like a river through the valley of his insides. 

It was complete, and fading. Neither one of them fell unconscious like the last time. Only one was weakened, limp and fading in and out once the light around them began to dissipate until they were surrounded only by the dim light of Gerard's lamp and the shadows of the night. Frank was trembling from the intensity, opening his eyes to see Gerard pale and sweating heavily, his head lulling slowly from side to side with his eyes open a fraction. 

Guilt and sorrow plummeted within Frank. Seeing Gerard so vulnerable, having given up from the weakness taking over him while the spell took what was stored inside of him. Frank came here with a heavy heart, but a strong grasp on what he needed to do. The delicate side of him never wanted to hurt Gerard, seeing him this way struck something buried deep within his heart. Frank slowly let go of Gerard's wrists and winced when he noticed his fingers left bright red marks on his pale porcelain skin. He brushed the sweaty hair away from Gerard's forehead, giving it a soft kiss. 

"I'm sorry, but I had to do it." He whispered.

He pulled away and his eyes welled up with tears. Frank meant to move away, retrieve Gerard's clothes and gently redress him without disturbing him too much. Those plans were quickly tossed away within second.

Gerard's eyes snapped open. His irises appeared normal at first, the same darkened shade of green they always have been. Until his pupils expanded when those eyes focused on Frank. Swallowing his irises almost entirely whole, leaving only the thinnest ring of green in their wake. Rage flooded into them, the raw emotion hardening his features, and Frank was filled once again with fear. He gasped, slowly crawling off of Gerard. He reached the foot of the bed, almost falling off the edge before he caught himself, and his breath hitched as Gerard sat up quickly. 

"Gerard, I'm . . . I'm so sorry." Frank's breath trembled.

Gerard's eyes gleamed. Not endearingly like they used to. It was the gleam of an anger Frank had seen in him too much for him not to be afraid of it.

"You tricky little bitch." Gerard whispered.

Frank had no clue what was coming for him until it hit him. He was suddenly pushed by some invisible force, a force powerful enough to knock all of the air from his lungs, and he was suspended into the air. Flying backwards, he hit the opposite wall with a loud bang, pain ringing through his body and more importantly the back of his head. He gasped raggedly, crumbling to the ground in a shocked and winded heap. 

Gerard bounded across the bed and the space between them, waving his hand fluidly. The motion had a chokehold on Frank's throat, squeezing tight, lifting him to his feet and pinning him to the wall again. Gerard assessed him with cynical eyes, a smirk slowly rising onto his lips. 

"Gerard, please." Frank gasped. He tried to move, but whatever Gerard was doing to him kept him held in place. 

"Shut up." Gerard snapped. He backed away for a moment, gathering Frank's and his own clothes from off the floor. He tossed Frank's clothing onto the floor at his feet. "Get dressed, I can't stand to look at you this way."

Frank choked out a gasp of relief when he was released from the strong grip of magic. And he knew better than to run, not with Gerard's sharp gaze watching him as he pulled his clothes back on. Frank shakily retrieved the articles of clothing tossed at him, tears filling his eyes. Once they were fully clothed again, Gerard surged forward and pinned Frank into the corner nearest to them, caring little for the way his head cracked against the wall. 

"You came here, begging for my forgiveness, you made me fall in love with you all over again even though I never stopped." Gerard spat out the words in Frank's face, lips curling back over his teeth. "You made me believe you wanted me again. But you wanted your fucking power back, you used me and lied to me."

"I didn't lie." Frank sobbed, falling apart. Gerard's fingers curled painfully around his wrists, making him cry out softly in pain. "I didn't lie about still loving you, about needing you. I would never lie to you about that."

Gerard grabbed Frank's shoulders, slamming him against the wall again, and Frank shrieked from fear and pain. "If you loved me so much, then you wouldn't have done this. You would have let it be, forgiven me and come back to me just because you loved me."

"Please, Gerard, I did this because I love you!"

"God, shut the fuck up, Frank!" Gerard grabbed Frank by the waist, a bruising grip, tossing him onto the floor like he weighed nothing. Frank sobbed endlessly, his heart ready to burst from the fear, and all he could do at this point was crawl away. Gerard's powers had advanced somehow, pure darkness leaked into his heart and he was using it to do the most wicked things. He felt the mythical force trying to drag him back, keeping him from reaching the stairs, and it tore at his muscles in a painful stretch that Frank couldn't stand. 

"All I wanted was to bring good to this world!" Gerard ranted, pulling Frank back towards him. The younger boy cried out in fear, nails raking over the floor and breaking painfully in his desperate avail to fight the pull. "And you won't fucking let me, you're too afraid to let it happen. You've ruined everything! You broke my heart, took my fucking soul with you when you called me a monster and walked out on me -"

Something very wrong, dark and terrible, began to take place unknowingly in the room being filled with Gerard's powerful, livid voice. It was slicing under Frank's skin, violent and the most painful experience that had only touched him once before. The blade of the black magic cut through his skin as easily as it would through butter, seeping straight into his bones; bones that were about to snap into a million pieces. His body convulsed on the ground. mouth opening to release a scream of pain. And yet, Gerard was continuing, not noticing or perhaps not caring at all. 

"-I thought I had finally found someone who understood me but not even you listened to me. Then, you have the nerve to fucking come here and spew your bullshit as part of your plan to take something from me, seduce me and use me." He was pulling his hair harshly, crying out in frustration. 

Frank was in agony, writhing and seeing lights in his vision. It truly began then; his bones were snapping, the sound was clear in the cold air, and nothing had ever been so blindingly torturous in Frank's life. He screamed, thrashed, muscles cramping and adding to the shooting pain that never ended in his entire body. He could feel hell washing over him, taking his body and taking it apart piece by piece. His head banged against the hard, cold floor, nearly knocking him unconscious due to how many times he had been stricken that evening. This was what true pain felt like, the pain of someone who was going to die.

Gerard had stopped speaking. Frank was suffering far to much to look at him, his eyes were burning with tears and they were bulging. He had no control over his body or the way it was collapsing in on itself. His soul was submitting, understanding that there was nothing he could do to stop it. 

And the last cracking of bone echoed terribly loudly in the room. A final blow, that being the gruesome angle his head had turned. His body was unnaturally curled as it was, but his neck, now broken, turned his head into the opposite direction of where it should have been facing. It was then that Frank's vision blacked out entirely. Nothing was in pain anymore, everything reached a sudden halt. No more twisting, sobbing, breaking, only an eerie zen in the blackness shrouding over him and remaining there. 

It was strange. He was falling slowly into the black, completely out of touch with his body. He saw and felt nothing, which was mildly terrifying, but nothing was scary about this peaceful black he was fading into. He was floating, steady and light as a feather, falling into the deepest sleep he had ever slipped into . . .

When he awoke, he was in his body again. A normal, functioning body, the way it had been before he died. And that was the gist of it, the acceptance not needing to be accepted at all in this place. He had died, his old body was somewhere he wouldn't be able to find it, and Frank was peaceful. He laid in a bed of grass in his meadow, his head pillowed by the softness of someone's thighs. Gentle fingers lovingly weaved tiny flowers into his hair, silky lips pressed gentle kisses against his forehead. Those kisses carried the warmth of the sun hitting his face, these hands brought comfort and the same peacefulness the black did to his entire being. His eyes fluttered open slowly. Assessing the perfect blue sky and brilliant orange of the fading sunshine, the white butterfly fluttering through the air, and alas, the sweet dark green eyes of his true love. Eyes filled with nothing but tenderness, shy and beautiful, back to normal. 

Frank slowly sat up. His back was slightly damp from sitting in the grass, meaning it must have rained the night before. He brushed some blades away from his shirt, surprised to see it was the clothing his dead body was wearing. 

"I was waiting for you to wake up." Gerard said softly, lips smoothing into a shy smile. He also had flowers weaved into his dark hair, pink and white sticking out from his tresses. 

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting for long." Frank leaned in, kissing him softly. Gerard hummed in contentment, touching his face. 

"No, you didn't." Gerard shook his head when they puled away. He paused, drawing his bottom lip between his teeth, remorse shining in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Frank. Power got to my head, it was all I wanted and it was beginning to drive me insane."

Frank shushed him softly, drawing him close, his fingers brushing against his blushing cheeks. Gerard looked healthier here than the last time he saw him; his cheeks were rosy and his skin was glowing, no dark circles surrounded his eyes and his hair was clean, silky. "You weren't you. That wasn't you, this is the real you." Frank kissed him again, slow and gentle. "Healthy, beautiful, kind. The you who killed me isn't here to harm me anymore. He can't reach us here."

Gerard's hand ran up the side of Frank's arm, his eyes fluttering. "We have to go home now, Frankie."

Frank's eyebrows drew together and one of his hands fell away from Gerard's face. "Home?"

Gerard said nothing, neither did Frank. He only mimicked Gerard as he stood up, his hand automatically being encased by the latter's, their fingers weaving together. They turned their heads and looked into the sunset - the sunset had become welcoming, a bright light winking at them both, and Frank knew without a doubt that the light would bring them home. They walked into the brilliant sunshine, swinging their arms back and forth, smiling wide until the light swallowed both of them whole and carried them home. 

Where they would remain forever.


	10. The End of the Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end has come and the spell has been cast, but with a price Gerard must pay.

Gerard was finally able to find the spell that would solve all of his problems; or perhaps, one major one slowly dissolving his insides the more he thought about it. He had fallen apart only one day ago, saying goodbye to what was left of his heart, and he already felt hollow even if he hadn't quite reached such a point yet. He kept twitching. The fucking twitching, the guilt, nothing was giving him pity, and he refused to let himself mourn. He did for one moment, one horrible moment where he held the mangled body of the love of his life in his arms one last time. The breathless, dead body of someone he killed. 

Gerard had never killed a person before. Almost, he came so close to killing Frank once before when they kissed for the first time in the woods. He had mistaken his power surging through him for the electric touch of having Frank so close to him, he assumed he filled his entire body with a hot numbness, and it first, it scared him to death because it had felt so fucking good. The entire time, he believed it was pleasure, the need to press Frank into him and envelope him with his body. It wasn't until those pain sounds washed over his ears, filling him with terror; especially when his body hadn't wanted to stop. 

It was the same when he realized he was killing Frank before it was too late. Something in him shut off this time, letting every bit of darkness stirring within him out of its confines and spilling it all over Frank's small, crumbled body. He felt nothing, listening to Frank screaming as his bones began to break one by one. Gerard heard the gruesome sound, a witness of the violence of his limbs twisting in fatal, unnatural ways, and if he did feel anything, it was sick, satisfying revenge. Curdling like black tar in his veins, sitting there and watching the love of his life writhe in agony until his neck snapped and his body went limp on the floor. He was so beautiful, even in his last moment. Pink lips stained with blood, olive toned flesh turning paper white, large hazel eyes slowly losing their light until they fluttered shut and his curved jaw went slack. Gerard felt nothing but numbness, apathy. Until the veil dropped, his magic whispering to him that it had done its job, and snapped but into his core where it bubbled menacingly, echoing in his mind like demons laughing over the bodies of their prey. Frank had become prey, there he was broken and shattered inside like a porcelain doll fallen off the shelf. 

Horror only set in when everything stopped - the rage, the ringing in Gerard's ears, the red film covering his vision. Something was sucked out of his body abruptly and he suddenly became so aware of everything, recalling each event one by one until his hands began to shake and his heart cracked into a million scattered pieces. Nothing felt more painful than realizing he killed the only person that meant anything in the world. Nothing was more terrifying than realizing he had gone insane, he was already slowly slipping into a state where no emotion ensued in him and he slowly watched plants and small birds die under his intense, unfeeling gaze. He sobbed and held Frank in his arms, shaking him, begging for him to come back. Gerard found no use in trying to bring him back with his magic, Frank successfully took that back and carried it away with him in death. No breath was coming from the lips he adored kissing, his warmth was still there, but it would surely be gone by the morning, alongside the flush in his cheeks. 

One last kiss. But Gerard refused to say goodbye.

His body was sitting prettily in the confines of Gerard's closet, the dark corner that was shrouded by clothes. No one would see him there, he assured it. Gerard took his spell book, searching endlessly for one spell in specific that would surely solve his problem, wash the blood of hands and allow him to feel Frank kissing him back once more. Hours of reading, twitching, shedding silent tears, and Gerard finally found the one thing that he needed the most.

A blood spell, the spell of life, much too easy to perform if he had a say in anything. 

Gerard took Frank's body, carefully cradling it in his arms despite it already being shattered beyond imagination. "Don't worry, baby, you're gonna come back to me and I'm going to make everything right again. No more lies, no more fighting, just you and I the way we were before I fucked up."

He gently laid Frank onto the center of the bed. His head rolled to the side and his skin had whitened from the blood flow having stopped, even his lips had been drained of their previous rosy color Gerard adored. He brushed one of his tiny curls away from his face, kissing his cold forehead. He sat on his knees with Frank laying horizontally in front of him. Dread filled him over and over again the longer he stared and didn't see Frank's chest move with his breath, not sensing his life source at all anymore. He bit back fierce tears, reaching for the spell book and the one necessity laying in between the pages as a bookmark.

A pocket knife.

With shaking fingers, Gerard brought the intimidating blade out of its confines, the silver winking at him and showing the reflection of his dull, unfeeling eyes. They would soon fill with life again, his eyes not being the only thing to do so. He was afraid of sharp objects, what he needed to do was worth it however. Taking a deep breath, flipped his hand over so his palm was facing him. His eyes flickered to Frank's face, his peaceful, pretty face - it was too peaceful. He bit his lip, whimpering softly as he lifted the pocket knife. 

He brought it to his palm, pressed the blade hard into his skin until it bit in painfully, blood rising to the surface as he quickly sliced it across his flesh. 

"Ah, fuck." He breathed in pain, the stinging in his hand making his eyes water. Blood dripped onto his jeans, dripping rapidly. Gerard curled his hand into a loose fist and held it above Frank, letting the blood drip onto his lips. The red of it was a bright crimson against snow white, slowly running down his lips and to his chin. Gerard shut his eyes, reaching into his core, and began the spell. 

"Calor in sanguine, ex vena sanguinem ore frigidum externaque, cum sanguine uitam consequamur et iterum." He recited slowly. Bubbling inside him was the energy, rushing over his skin in a chilling current. He shuddered, licking his dry lips. "Calor in sanguine, ex vena sanguinem ore frigidum externaque, cum sanguine uitam consequamur et iterum. Calor in sanguine, ex vena sanguinem ore frigidum externaque, cum sanguine uitam consequamur et iterum. Calor in sanguine, ex vena sanguinem ore frigidum externaque, cum sanguine uitam consequamur et iterum." He continued to recite it until his body was pulsing with power, allowing it to pour over Frank in a veil. He opened his eyes, still bleeding onto Frank to the point where blood was now trickling onto his clothes and the sheets below him. 

Gerard leaned down, the spell echoing in his mind, and pressed his lips against Frank's blood soaked pair. The kiss of life for the death, along with blood to slide down his throat for a much more concentrated source. He parted Frank's lips and let the blood leak into his mouth. The taste of it was metallic and salty, too sharp and the flavor made Gerard cringe. When he pulled away, his body shuddering with magic, his own blood dripped from his bottom lip and began to rapidly dry on his flesh. He licked it away, pressing his hands against Frank's chest and awaiting for the spell to complete. He panted softly, heat growing inside his body like an internal fire had been lit in the center of his gut. At the same time, it felt amazing, especially during the last few moments of the spell going through. 

It ended eventually, his stomach dropped alongside the strong surge of power and he felt like he could properly breathe again. Gerard opened his eyes and tried to slow his breathing, shoulders hunching forward. He grabbed a discarded shirt from nearby and held it against his bleeding hand to stop the blood from flowing. He eagerly waited, watching Frank, seeing how his lips were slightly parted and the blood had successfully made its way into his mouth. Gerard gently wiped away what was left of it with the shirt, then his other hand cradled the side of his face, caressing his still soft and cold skin. 

"Come back to me, baby, I need you." Gerard whispered, a lump rising in his throat. He had yet to cry over Frank, let tears stream endlessly while he choked on his sobs. There was no reason to, crying over Frank would be mourning for him, and he would never have to consider mourning after this. He prayed that it worked, waiting anxiously as he wrapped his arms around Frank's body and pulled his head onto his lap. 

Silence laid heavy in the room. Gerard held his breath and watched, waited, stroking Frank's hair with tears spilling down his cheeks. He was scared to death that the spell wouldn't work, that his power wasn't strong enough for it. He trained it over the past few weeks, expanding his abilities and learning many new things in the spell book, but he didn't quite know its boundaries and limits. He trembled, watching as one of his tears splattered onto Frank's cheek.

It was almost as if his tears did the final trick. In that second, the single second that one of Gerard's tears touched Frank's cheek and slowly slid down the side of his face, his chest rose abruptly - he had inhaled a large gulp of air, filling his unmoving lungs with a much needed breath. His body curled in on itself, twisting, snapping back into place, making Gerard turn away in horror until the sound ceased and all had gone back to the eerie silence he became used to long ago. Frank's eyes shot open, sending shock down the column of Gerard's spine. His hand pulled away from Frank's hair like the boy waking up shocked him - no, he hadn't simply waken up.

Gerard had resurrected Frank.

His eyes, hazel and wide, stared up at the ceiling, his pupils shrinking into tiny dots in the center of his irises. Gerard's heart accelerated, a gasp falling from his lips. He watched the color rise back slowly into Frank's face, his lips stained with blood, his chest moving up and down with each heavy breath he took. Frank blinked just once in a long stretched of time, and then his tongue, pink and slowly moving, peeked out to drag over his lips. Tasting the blood, and somehow finding pleasure in the flavor. He moaned softly, shutting his eyes once more.

"Frank? Baby." Gerard breathed, leaning over him. He barely believed this was happening, especially when the image of Frank's crooked and dead body was burned behind his eyes every time he closed them. Frank tensed at the sound of Gerard's voice. 

His eyes shot open again and looked straight into Gerard's. Only his eyes were not his eyes, the beautiful hazel he once knew and the white surrounded that color had been swallowed entirely by a pitch black, gleaming menacingly at him. Gerard was frozen staring into them, everything in his body stopping and growing increasingly cold. Looking into those eyes, the bleak black taking over the warm gaze he used to seek comfort in, he saw no piece of Frank left in them. Not in the look, not in the way it stared at him, he wasn't there. The most terrifying part of it all was that Frank, if it even was Frank, was slowly sitting up, coming face to face with Gerard. He was paralyzed with fear, his hands being the only part of him to tremble.

He leaned in, straight for his neck, his nose gliding along his skin and inhaling him - trying to whiff out what laid underneath it, and Gerard whimpered in terror. He crawled backwards, away from whatever had entered Frank's body, but it followed his movements until it was lunging forward and pinning him to the bed, body a heavy weight over his own, and Gerard cried out softly, trying to push him off. 

"Please stop, get off!" Gerard squeezed his eyes shut, shivering in disgust as it ran its tongue over the side of his neck.

"Pretty boys with blood as delicious as yours have a special spot in hell," It spoke, in Frank's voice, seductive and breathy. Gerard whimpered, telling himself over and over again that it wasn't Frank no matter how much it sounded like him, felt like him, and looked like him. 

Gerard panted shakily, tensing his body. He drew all of his magic together and roughly exerted it as a force shove against Frank's body, sending it flying off the bed and against the wall opposite to him. It didn't seem fazed, it only snapped its head up and sneered at him with pure evil dripping from its gaze and scowl. He growled, low and horrible, and Gerard scrambled off the bed. 

"You don't fucking belong here." Gerard floated over in front of the creature living in his love's body. He curled his hands around its neck, staring into its eyes only or else looking at any other part of him would have him falling apart. It was still Frank's body, his face, his everything - except for his soul.

"Oh but you brought me here." It laughed manically, sliding its hands up his torso. "A pretty little witch, trying to bring back what's already dead and gone."

"Shut the fuck up." Uncontrollable power slipped from the confines of Gerard's very soul, and suddenly, Frank's body convulsed and a loud crack echoed in the room. It cried out in pure pain, torture even, and Gerard faltered as the memories flooded back into his mind.

"P-powerful, but weak on the inside." It choked out, struggling to stay standing with a broken leg. "You can't kill me again, not when I share the face of your little twink. Unlike you, he was sent to heaven with another you. It's sickening, really, how he rode off into the sunset with a much better version of you. But the real you is still stuck here, pathetically trying to bring him back."

Gerard's heart ripped into shreds. Imagining Frank in a better place with a better him, someone who would never deceive or harm him. Such a painful image, but so beautiful that he began to slowly melt.

"You . . . there's no way you can know that. You came from a place far from heaven." Gerard swallowed thickly.

"But I hear and see everything while in between, pretty boy. Don't you think we all hear when our master decides whether or not to punish a new soul? Especially one as special as little Frankie's." It chuckled lowly.

"Don't say his name, don't put it in your mouth." Gerard hissed. 

"It isn't my mouth, Gerard Way. It's his, in technical terms. But it's all mine now, thanks to you."

He was filled with rage. Pure, unfiltered rage, tinting his vision red and heating up his entire body like lava had entered his bloodstream. He shook violently, letting out a cry, and he reached for his pocket knife. He flipped out the blade, going straight for Frank's neck -

Frank's neck. Frank's skin, his beautiful soft skin, carrying the sweetness of his blood that kept him alive. He was Frank again, shifting quickly, no longer filled with a cold evil that taunted Gerard to the point of madness. His rigidness melted against the wall, his eyes shifting back to their normal lovely hazel, and every bit of bitterness carved into his expression wiped away in an instant. He blinked rapidly, fear sparking in his eyes, eyes now filling with tears, and slowly shifted to an expression of pain and sadness. He looked up at Gerard with those large eyes, down to the knife pressed against his throat, and he released the tiniest, horrible whimper. 

"Gerard, wait, what's going?" He cried softly, the tears rushing down his flushed cheeks. "I thought I was dead, I . . . why are you trying to kill me again?"

Fear, expanding his eyes, quaking in his voice. He was suddenly no longer a demon, but Frank Iero, the boy Gerard loved with a desperation large enough to drive him insane. He had been so close to slitting his throat, not caring if blood spilled everywhere, but he was willing to do anything to get whatever possessed Frank to leave. 

"Frank, baby?" Gerard's voice broke as emotion filled the void in his chest. "You - no, I wasn't killing you, I was killing what was inside you. Oh god." Gerard dropped his hand away from Frank's throat, looking into the lost eyes of his true love. 

"You killed me." Frank sobbed softly, grabbing Gerard's shirt and balling up the material between his fists. "I loved you and you killed me."

"I know, but I lost control and I didn't know what I was doing, something horrible came over me." Gerard's shaking fingers brushed against Frank's warm, tear stained cheek. "I love you, baby, I'll never touch you that way again. It's why I brought you back, I promised I wouldn't put you in danger ever again."

"Do you promise?" Frank sniffled, looking up at him through his wet, long eyelashes. "Promise you won't try anything like that ever again."

Gerard's heart was weak, but swelling with love for his boy. His eyelids fluttered and he drew Frank closer to him, pressing their foreheads together, their noses brushing against one another. "I promise. I'll never hurt you again." 

Frank's fingers, warm and soft, brushed against his neck, hesitantly trailing up and into his hair. It had only been a day and a few hours over, but Gerard missed the feeling of being touched by Frank's hands that held a gentle touch and a warmth to thaw the constant cold trapped in Gerard's insides. He held Frank's waist, drawing him in, and kissed him like his life depended on it. Frank let out a tiny grunt and kissed back, fingers finding purchase in his hair and gently tugging it while attempting to bring him as close as ever. Gerard still tasted the faint tang of blood on the latter's lips, but despite the bitter film, his mouth was soft and eager against his own. He could feel every line of his body in the way they were pressed together, his heart rattling in his ribcage. Gerard was no longer cold in any part of him, he never was when he was kissing Frank.

He happened to open his eyes for one moment, only one as he pulled away for a tiny second to tilt his head to the side and part their lips for further indulging. Gerard's lashes fluttered, eyes opening just a crack, but it was enough to see Frank's eyes had opened too. And they flashed back to that evil, empty and blackened gaze, before quickly switching back. He swore he felt Frank smirk against Gerard's moving mouth. A confirmation of the evil using a mask to protect itself - mimicking the soul of someone he had loved to weaken his resolve. 

Gerard didn't move right away, only continued to kiss Frank and pretend that he had seen nothing. He was still holding onto to pocket knife - loosely, but his fingers were surely wrapped around the cool metal. He squeezed his eyes shut, pressing Frank firmly against the wall, pretending to bring heat into the moment. His other hand ran up and down Frank's body, his knee wedging in between his thighs, and Frank gasped softly against his lips as he would if he were truly himself. And he wasn't him, he never would be again, and that was enough for Gerard to muster the courage to move his lips away from the latter's, bring them to his soft neck to leave hot kisses there in order for the demon to trust him and tilt his head back to bare his throat while he let out fake, breathy moans . . .

And slide the blade of the knife across his vulnerable throat.

Frank - no, the demon, hadn't expected the turn in events. It gasped loudly, eventually choking on the blood that was now gushing from the long, smiling wound cut across his neck. The skin had split open and was now staining Gerard's shirt crimson from the rapid blood flow, and he looked away, not wanting to see Frank die again. Even if he wasn't Frank, it was his body. The demon flailed and hissed, slowly slumping to the ground, its hand rising to cup its throat and stop the bleeding. But the blood only gushed between its fingers in a small fountain effect, the sound of it dripping to the floor filling the room. Gerard turned away from the bleeding out body of the boy he had killed, the scent of blood attacking his nose and filling his head.

He became to enter a stage of numbness. His hands were stained red, his shirt stuck to him with Frank's blood, slowly seeping further into the material. It was still warm, also dripping from the blade of the pocket knife. Gerard looked out the window of his bedroom and ignored the gurgling and choking coming from behind him. He waited for it to stop, and when it did, only then did he notice Claudia sitting outside on a tree branch, staring at him; almost like he had betrayed her as well, because surely she knew Frank was dead. She was smart, she always has been smart.

Gerard felt nothing anymore, and what was numbness when it combined with having nothing left anymore? He looked down at his blade in his bloodied hand. After a long moment of watching blood drip from it, he slowly wiped it clean on his jeans, leaving smears of dark crimson on them. He rose the blade to eye level to see himself. His eyes showed nothing, they were empty, and he hadn't realized tears were dripping from them. He may have broken, but it wasn't breaking down in tears as one would expect. 

No, he dug the blade into his throat and slice it across the tender skin as well. Only then was he gaping open and free, finally feeling something on the outside and the inside. Pain, pain until he fell onto the floor beside Frank's lifeless body and allowed himself to bleed out. His vision was falling black, every ounce of pain suddenly shutting off. 

He was grabbed by the ankles, dragged into darkness, until he saw the burning of fire in his line of vision, and he knew very well he would be getting what he deserved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this and I do hope you enjoyed it. One long month I spent writing this, finishing it all to post it the whole thing in one instant as to not keep anyone waiting for too long. Tell me your thoughts!


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